Tenchu: The Onikage Chronicles
by ENZIK
Summary: NOTICE TO ALL READERS! I'M BACK! MORE INSIDE!
1. 1 A boy named Suzaku

Disclaimer: I do not own Tenchu because Aklaim does and if any Aklaim employee stumbles across this, I'm not shoving any made up ideas in here into the history of the Tenchu villian, Onikage. I'm just a big fan of the character and wanted to make a full lifestory with him.  
  
Tenchu: The Onikage Chronicles  
  
Chapter 1: A boy named Suzaku.  
  
16th century Japan was at a state of turmoil in certain parts, as wars and vicious battles for territory raged on. Barbaric armies would raid villages to take over their land and food for their camps. Such armies were lead by war lords, including one by the name of Toda. Toda was well known throughout eastern Japan for his reputition of destroying towns to feed his many troops of ninja soldiers and well-skilled assassins. He would murder grown citizens while taking the children whom he sought worthy of being trained warriors to fight for him, most to which he saw as expendable, and the majority of them had been, until one day when he came to one village....  
  
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"Suzaku!" The young japanese boy heard his name called and he poked his head up from the dirt trench where he was busy digging for worms to use as bait in the pond for fishing. Fishing was a hobby to him and he was a die- hard lover of it. He'd fish for breakfast, lunch, supper, even for the fun of it in which he would just throw the fish back and try to catch another one. He had become an expert among the other village boys and when it came to the art, he was envied by even some of the village men. He turned around to see his youthful, and beautiful mother standing in the doorway of their straw and wooden home, dressed in her light blue kimono. He scrambled out of the trench, with dirt smudged all over his face, feet and hands and ran barefoot over to her. He stopped and smacked some dirt from his short black hair then dusted some off of his black trunks and white tunic which his mother had sewn for him.  
  
"Hai, mother?" He smiled adoringly up at her, awaiting her request. Despite his filthiness his mother smiled down at her son of 9 years and then gazed around at the crops.  
  
"Dinner is almost ready," She said then looked down at him "Why don't you go out into the fields and find your father? Then you can come and wash up for dinner." She smiled again. Suzaku bowed to her, honoring his superior family member and turned to take off for the fields, running like the wind. Out of all the children in the village, he was the fastest runner of them all. His father and other men told him that with his quick and silent steps, he'd make a fine soldier in the Lord Gohda's army. He found his father, slicing rice plants from their stocks and shoveling them in a basket.  
  
"Papa! Hey Papa!" He slid to a stop just by his side and watched his father work. His father, was a farmer but a large and fit figure. Tall and perfectly built for athletics, he always got his work done fast. His black hair was long and tied back under his straw hat. He shoved one more rice plant into the basket then looked down at his boy.  
  
"Hello, Suzaku. Let me guess, your mother wants me." He said with a guessing, mischeivous smirk.  
  
Suzaku smiled with a nod. "Dinner's almost ready, she sent me for you. C'mon I'll race ya back!" And he got into a position ready to run back against his father.  
  
"No, I don't think so son. I'm too tired." His father wiped some sweat from his brow and removed his hat with a pant.  
  
"Oh come on dad! You can't be that tired!" Suzaku almost pouted, kicking the dirt.  
  
"I'm sorry son," His father tried to cheer him up with a smile "I just don't think you can BEAT ME!!" And as he reached the end of his sentence, he dropped his basket and scythe, suddenly taking off for the house through the field.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" Suzaku took off after him at the max of his speed but he could only catch up to his father's heels by a few inches. He was surprised when his father suddenly stopped, causing him to collide into his back and fell backwards, landing on his backside. "Ow! Papa, what's the big deal?" Then he heard it, the cries and pleads of Hanashi, the village leader, who was always a kind hearted man and was more like a role model than a leader.  
  
"Please! We are a peaceful people! We want no fight with you, your greatness!" Hanashi pleaded on his knees, in front of a tall japanese man in red war armor. Behind him was a black horse and a crowd of ninja in matching red outfits. Suzaku couldn't make out any faces for they all wore masks of cloth and hoods.  
  
"And I have no time to listen to a pleading rat like you!" The man in red armor spoke and snapped his fingers. The crowd of ninja split as two of them brought out a tied up struggling woman, that Suzaku instantly recognized.  
  
"Mother!" He began to run forward but felt himself grabebd by his father to stop. To his shock the man in armor and the crowd of ninja all turned to him with a snap. The man in armor glared and pointed a finger at them.  
  
"Bring them over here!" He yelled, and on cue, four of the ninja made their way over in a haste, and seized Suzaku from his fathers grasp.  
  
"No! Stop it! Let me go!" Suzaku struggled and kicked his feet to no avail. But he heard a loud blow and before his eyes, one of the four ninja stumbled to the floor, holding his face with a groan of pain.  
  
"Put my son down you bastards!" It was his father, defending him. He managed to kick another of the ninja in the stomach before the third drew out his sword and spun low, slashing his father's leg open. He watched as his father screamed and fell to the floor, then heard words he wish he hadn't from the armored man.  
  
"Kill that idiotic fool!"  
  
"NO!!!!" But it was too late, as Suzaku watched the same ninja who crippled his father, shove the blade of his sword through his fathers chest. He heard his mother scream in agony and looked over his shoulder to see another ninja, striking her down with a sword to the neck. Suzaku gave a cry of sadness as he freed himself finally from the ninjas hold and crawled over to his mothers body, then looked up at the man in armor. "Why?!?! She did nothing!!"  
  
"Be silent boy! They are no longer your gaurdians, I am!" The man in armor said in a confident voice. And it was the last thing Suzaku heard before he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, and all went black.  
  
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Suzaku awoke hours later in total darkness, seeing nothing except the dim glow of torches on the wall, through a metal bar door. On the other side, through a torches glow he could make out the figure of one of the ninja, facing the other way. Suzaku tried to stand and walk but nearly staggered to a fall, and looked down at the metallic rattling on his feet to see them shackled, but his hands were free. At this the gaurd turned around and laughed softly.  
  
"Ah, you're awake! Lord Toda will be most pleased." He said and looked to his side down the hall and called to obviously another gaurd. "Alert his highness, the boy is awake!"  
  
Suzaku watched the man warily as he waited, soon hearing heavy footsteps and the armored man once again appeared to him next to the gaurd. With him was a youthful girl, maybe a couple years older than Suzaku. Suzaku took a step back as he watched them both, taking in the new girls features from curiousity. She was dressed comfortably and cleanly, wearing a single piece, dark purple tunic with short sleeves that went to her mid thighs(kinda like Ayames Tenchu 2 outfit), and wore boots and bracers on her wrist. She had a slight touch of make up and her hair was pinned up.  
  
"So, you're up." The man in armor spoke. "How nice. What is your name boy?"  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Suzaku leaned against the wall in fear.  
  
"Answer my question boy!" The man raised his voice. "What is your name?!"  
  
He looked down, scared and sad as he spoke just loud enough to be heard, but still softly. "...Suzaku.."  
  
"Suzaku. Hmmm, I see." The armored man laughed and Suzaku looked up to see him look to the girl. "I like the boys name...what do you think?"  
  
The girl snorted. "Sounds like a peasant name." And gave Suzaku a look as if to say she was higher than him, which he didn't doubt.  
  
"Haha. Well my dear he IS a peasant." The man spoke again and looked back to Suzaku with an admiring smirk despite calling him a peasant. "As you may have heard, I am Lord Toda and I have brought you here to become one of my ninja soldiers, like this young lady here who has already proven her loyalty to me." He gestured to the young girl with a hand.  
  
"Ninja? I'll never join you." Suzaku said with an angry frown at the man.  
  
"You will join me....or you will meet Death at an early time." Toda said and leaned forward some, clutching one of the bars as he grinned evily at the boy. "You take some time to think about that...." And with that he turned to leave, followed by the girl, who gave him a mean smirk and the watch gaurd, and was left alone. Suzaku closed his eyes tightly as he slid down against the wall to a sitting position and buried his dirt smudged face into his hands....and began to cry...  
  
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That is the end of Chapter 1. I did my best to put some good story into this, and how Suzaku comes to join Toda's army which in the future brings him into the Burning Dawn and so on and so forth. If you liked this chapter then please Review and let me know if I should continue the story, of a young village boy who grows into a famous and fierce ninja warrior. 


	2. 2 A show of potential and the Dark Lord

A/n: Thank you for all of the reviews I got. I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you like this one as well where Suzaku gives...  
  
Chapter 2: A show of potential...and the Dark Lord.  
  
Toda sat in his throne, strumming his fingers on the arm of the chair as he sat back in thought. It had been two days since he captured the stuck-up child who had given him the name 'Suzaku' to address him by. The boy had kept on refusing to join him to be trained as one of his ninja warriors. In return as punishment he had deprived the child of food and water the day before, and had deprived him of breakfast this morning. It was around time where he would feed or attempt to feed the child again if he accepted his offer. If not he would deprive the food and try again at dinner time. Another declination would result in the boy's execution. Toda looked to one of his soldiers.  
  
"Yagyu! Go check on the boy. He hasn't been screaming for my death for quite some time now. It's too quiet from the cell room." Toda said, waving two fingers to the door which lead to the cell room hallway from a staircase.  
  
"Yes my lord." Yagyu nodded and went through the door and down the staircase, following the torches as his source of light. He walked down the hallway and once he neared the prison boy's cell, spoke up. "Alright, ya little brat. What'd you do finally bite ya tounge of--" He stopped and gasped when he saw no sign of the boy in the cell. Hastily he grabbed the keys from his belt and unlocked the door, and walked in, looking around frantically. "What the--?" He huffed "Where'd you go you little bastard?!" He gasped softly as right infront of his eyes he saw dust and pebble fall from above, and he looked up at the shrieking berserker coming down on him with a loud scream.  
  
Suzaku had been thinking of an escape route when he finally got the idea. It would be unlike his kind-hearted nature but it would be done. He would have to kill a gaurd. With the thought of using his feet shackle chain as a weapon he dug his fingers into the cracks of the wall and climbed up to brace himself as high up as he could into the shadows. His fingers were aching and he felt he couldn't hold on much longer when finally a gaurd came appearantly to check on him. He watched as the panicked gaurd unlocked his cell door and hurried inside to search--stopping right beneath him. "Perfect." Suzaku thought and with a scream of rage, he released himself and dove down. The gaurd only looked up as Suzaku thrusted out his feet as if to kick the gaurd in the face but instead used the chain of his shackles as an object to hit him in the throat and knock him to the floor. The ninja fell under Suzaku with a thud, leaving Suzaku on his chest but only for a split second as he moved forward with a twisting motion and was now sitting at the ninja gaurd's head....with his shackle chain used as a strangling device on the man's throat. Suzaku grunted as he pulled his feet closer together, thus tightening the chain around his victims neck. He heard a rush of footsteps, telling him more than just one person was rushing to the scene. "Drat! The ninja's scream must have alerted the others." The thought of fear rushed into his mind, but he kept his eyes on his struggling victim, who gagged and choked, clutching at the chain, trying to pry it off of his neck to no avail. He looked up when he saw movement from the corner of his eye, to see the man who had called himself Lord Toda, the girl that was with him and another ninja gaurd, all with a look of shock on their faces.  
  
"Back off, or I'll kill him!" Suzaku yelled, jerking his feet to the side to increase the pressure on the strangled man's neck.  
  
"Haha, you are pathetic. Kill him.." Toda said, and with the girl, turned and left the scene. The chuckling ninja with them drew a shuriken from his belt. A look of fear crossed Suzaku's face as the gaurd reered back and released the shuriken through the air, and right into him. Suzaku felt a sharp pain in his chest and his vision became blurry as he felt his energy leaving him. His vision turned black and he fell back, lifeless, his entire body going limp. The attacked gaurd removed the chain from his neck and rolled away quickly from his corpse, coughing and gagging, being helped up by his comrade.  
  
"Crazy kid.." The victim said, holding his throat as he limped out of the cell.  
  
"Tch. Worthless." The other ninja said and turned to follow, not bothering to close the door, just left it open with the dead boy inside.  
  
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Suzaku felt a cold feeling and slowly awoke in a dark enviroment. It wasn't the cell for the ground felt different. It was more like solid tile than the dirt floor of the cell. It was like he was in some high class temple. "Am I in heaven?" He thought to himself, before asking the question to himself out loud and took a few steps in what he felt was forward, looking around.  
  
"No."  
  
Said, a hissing, sinister voice and Suzaku spun a full180* once, then twice, then spun a 90*.  
  
"Who said that?!" Suzaku cried out in fright as he looked all over frantically.  
  
"Me."  
  
Suzaku looked around for the source of the voice but it seemed to come from all over. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am the one who will give you life...in return for your soul and services." The voice said softly and was followed by a cold, dark, bone chilling laugh of evil.  
  
"Life?" Suzaku asked, now standing in one place, just looking around with his eyes.  
  
"Yes!" The voice said and this time Suzaku looked ahead of him to see a soft, small green glow which seemed to expand and come towards him. He stepped back in fear as the voice continued. "You are dead boy, and without me you will forever remain a lifeless shadow among the earth. I can restore you to your life force...and give you powers beyond your wildest imagination, Suzaku."  
  
"You...you know my name?" Suzaku placed a hand to his chest in shock, more so as if pointing to himself, now looking at a large green vortex that seemed to have floating bodies inside of it, moaning and crying for help, some even seemed to push on the surface, trying to break through but no success. Their faces were bony and horrifying as if they were dead...like...like..souls?!  
  
"I know everything about you my boy. Allow me...to introduce myself." The voice said and between the vortex with crying souls, and Suzaku came a bright white flash which sent Suzaku staggering back to shield his eyes. He now noticed a sudden dim red light in the room and before him, stood a towering figure over him(compared to his size being a small boy) The figures flesh was red like fire, with a golden crown propped upon it's head of mangled black hair. The figures arms were crossed as it was dressed in a golden and red robe which sparkled, and he seemed to be hovering some. His burning yellow eyes gazed down at Suzaku.  
  
"Wh--who are.." Suzaku stuttered out, but was interrupted by the menace.  
  
"I am the dark lord of Hell, Mei-Oh. Once again, I can give you life once more along with powers beyond your dreams, in exchange for your soul and services." Mei-Oh spoke as he smiled evily down at Suzaku.  
  
"I..I.." Suzaku hadn't wanted to die, just return home. With.."powers" he could probably break out of that fortress and make his way home easily. He looked up at the demon lord. "What do I do?"  
  
"Accept Toda's offer and become his soldier. From there, everything will fall into place. You will kill in my honor and I will use those souls to produce a grand army so I may rule the living world! In return, you may live forever and with whatever may suit your needs." Mei-Oh chuckled as he watched the boy. "Do you accept my offer, Suzaku?"  
  
Suzaku took all of this in and thought some. He was 9 years old and being asked to serve a mighty Lord in exchange for power and a new life? He would have to give his soul but at that age, he didn't see that as much of a price. He gazed up to Mei-Oh. "I accept...."  
  
"Good...." Mei-Oh's eyes glowed as he cackled and Suzaku suddenly felt extremly cold inside as a blue sphere of light exploded out of his chest and flew into the palm of Mei-Oh's hand, diminishing before his eyes, and once again, his vision became dark.  
  
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Suzaku jumped up in a sudden jolt of surprise and looked around at his surroundings. He was once again in the cell with the door opened. He looked down to where the shuriken had struck his heart, finding nothing but a scar in it's place, the shuriken itself gone. He had a sudden sense as if he knew exactly where to go and rose to his feet, slowly walking from the cell and down the hall. Once he was sure there were no gaurds around, he picked up speed, pacing quickly up the stairs and came to the door which would lead him out into Toda's throne room. Not bothering to use the knob he hit the door with his palm and it swung open, startling the gaurds and servants.  
  
"I told you to kill him!" Toda was standing on the steps of his throne stage, looking in anger at a gaurd.  
  
"But my lord..I did!" The gaurd said, stuttering out.  
  
"His eyes..." Suzaku heard a servant say and looked to a reflective metal vase to examine his eyes. To his surprise he had black shadowing around his eyes and even his lips had a black tint to it, and his skin had gone from a light tan to pale white. He looked back at Toda and his company.  
  
"Grrrrr. You didn't kill him down there, then kill him now!" Toda screamed at the gaurd.  
  
"You die now boy!" The gaurd growled and drew three shuriken, and sent one flying right at Suzaku's head. Suzaku felt a sudden instinct to react and with a nearly careless effort, he slapped the shuriken right out of the air, sending it clattering to the floor. He looked down at it and at his hand, then back up at the gaurd in shock. The gaurd gasped and growled again, sending a second shuriken at him. This time Suzaku took a step to the side and turned his body sideways, letting the shuriken stick into the wall, then turned, this time advancing towards the gaurd with a burst of courage. The gaurd snorted and this time roared out, throwing the last shuriken. Suzaku narrowed his eyes and his hand snapped up, swiping it out of the air and now in his grasp. He looked at it and something sparked into his head and he felt as if he had been throwing deadly objects for years. And with this knowledge now, he heaved the shuriken right back at the gaurd with amazing speed, driving it through his skull, killing him instantly. The gaurd fell to his knees, then face down, grunting as Suzaku came to the middle of the floor, turning to face a stunned Lord Toda. He looked at the young ninja girl as well. Even she was surprised. Once more he looked back at Toda.  
  
"Lord Toda. I, Suzaku Morihmoto, will join your army. I.." He paused and put on a smirk, that with his souless and black eyed expression, seemed pure evil. "..am your humble servant." And he bowed to the war lord.  
  
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End of Chapter 2. What did you all think? R/R your thoughts please! Thank you! 


	3. 3 Training and Introductions

A/n: Thank you for those who reviewed, I am very thankful and now here, we continue.  
  
Chapter 3: Training and Introductions.  
  
The gaurds sword snapped into the tree trunk as he missed the boy who had overpowered their top aiming expert in the army the night before. Suzaku had doven from the blade's path and ricocheted himself off a tree and at the gaurd from the side, and with a walloping collision, drove his foot into the side of his head with expert skill, sending him rolling across the floor. He hit the ground on his feet and continued through the exercise. The current session, toe to toe combat. He ran along the path, diving at gaurds as they showed him their existance. He spent most of his time, working in his kicks, only throwing a few occasional punches to his trainee opponents. He would sometimes beat them an inch from death because he had the strange urge to see them beg for mercy. He finally came to the end, sweating and panting as he watched the record keeper, mark down his progress.  
  
"So." Said a voice behind him and Suzaku turned to see the ninja girl with Toda leaning against a tree. "Suzaku is it?"  
  
"Yes...that is my name." Suzaku said, tilting his head to the side looking at her appearance. He had found out she was three years his senior at the age of 12. He resumed his head's position and crossed his arms over his skinny bare chest. "And you are?"  
  
The girl laughed to herself, as if she thought it was funny the younger boy would ask her name, but then looked to him. "I am called Kagami. I am the oldest of Lord Toda's minor apprentices. But he feels you may soon be the best. He is impressed with your skill."  
  
"Is that so?" Suzaku looked at Kagami with a chuckle and uncrossed his arms. "Well that's the first thing I've heard since--"  
  
"What happened to you?" Kagami interrupted him. "When we took you in, you were this scared, kind hearted village brat. Now after you take a death blow you return from Death's fortress and kill our best sharp shooter without a single blink of hesitation? And what happened to your face. Your devilish red eyes are surrounded by shadow and your lips are as black as midnight." She crossed her arms, as if awaiting an explination.  
  
"Let's just....say I woke up." Suzaku smirked some and began to walk past her to Toda's main fortress, succeeding only to be followed by her.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" She said, walking beside him.  
  
"Why are you so curious about my life all of a sudden? First you give me dirty looks now you want to be my friend?" He said, shaking his head with a sigh.  
  
Kagami stopped abrupt and scoffed. "Ugh. Get real. I do NOT want to be your friend. I don't even want to work on missions with you."  
  
"Good, I don't want to work on missions with you either. I can do it on my own." Suzaku said as he ascended the castle steps.  
  
"You haven't even finished your tests yet!" Kagami said as she followed at his heels.  
  
"No, not yet." Suzaku smirked and looked over his shoulder at her as he walked. "But I will. What's next?"  
  
"A stealth test." Kagami said cockily. "I doubt you can defeat enemies without being seen."  
  
"We'll see about that..." Suzaku reached the top of the stairs and pulled the castle doors open, walking in to report to Toda to recieve his next test. He would show this Kagami what his secret, Lord had given him to do just what he was expected to do by Lord Toda.  
  
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Suzaku dropped from a tree and drove his knee into a village prisoners back, pinning him down. The prisoner struggled and was about to scream before he slapped a hand over his mouth and jerked his head to one side, snapping the villager's neck. He stood to observe his 10th victim. Toda had captured villagers and put them inside a fenced around perimeter, and given them poorly made weapons for defense. This was a breeze for Suzaku.  
  
He moved through the forest, using his hands, feet, and sometimes even the very own weapons of his victims to kill them, undetected. When he came to the end, he saw Kagami and Toda waiting for him. Toda bore a smile on his face as he nodded to him.  
  
"I am impressed my boy." He smiled bigger. "You have passed the final of the tests in a single day when the best of my students take two weeks. You have a gift. Continue to practice these and try to beat your quickest times, then you will become a true Toda Ninja. And with a laugh he turned and walked off, followed by Kagami after she gave a snort to a smiling Suzaku. He watched them go and looked down with his eyes closed, a wide smile spreading over his youthful black lips.  
  
"Everything is coming together, Lord Mei-Oh." Suzaku looked back up at the departing Kagami and Toda as he spoke to himself. "I will be the greatest warrior in this clan...and you will have thousands of souls for your army..." And with a dark chuckle, Suzaku followed them finally, thinking over the glory he would witness with his new abilities. The glory of being a ninja....an assassin.....a killer...  
  
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Yes this chapter is a little short but I didn't want to bore you all by making you read a dozen of ninja tests so I threw just two in and gave some more scenes of Toda's admiration. In Chapter 4, there will be a time jump of 9 years where Suzaku will be 18. I will include a summary in the beginning of what happened in those skipped 9 years, as well as what is mainly to come. Please send some R/R if you wish to see Chapter 4: Suzaku's first Quest. 


	4. 4 Suzaku's First Task

PROLOGUE: 9 years had passed since Suzaku Morihmoto was taken from his villagve by Lord Toda after the death of his parents. There was hardly a moment in those years where Suzaku wasn't training and in those moments he was secretly meditating a report conversation with Lord Mei-Oh who his colleagues and Lord Toda were oblivious to. It wasn't long in those years that a small army of enemy ninja attacked the castle of Toda. Suzaku was 16 at the time and it was his first real big event. In the process he saved Kagami from a brutal death by ambushing some ninja that were ready to tear her apart and had killed them all in a matter of seconds. It was then that Kagami saw Suzaku in a new way and showed him the respect she thought he deserved from her for his action. By the time he reached 17, he learned of an enemy of Toda, Jubei Sakai. A rival war lord with his own ninja warriors. They had sent rivaling messages back and forth. Jubei sending Toda messages of how he would take his territory over and kill him, and in response Toda kept telling him how his newest addition of ninja warriors would easily hold back. A year passed and Toda recieved a message from Sakai informing him that he had just taken over the castle of one of Toda's allies, Hiroyuki Obata, who was the leader of a ninja clan calling themselves the Ice Fireflies. Toda was enraged as he read that Obata and his daughter were being held prisoner and for ransom to make Toda to give up. Instead, he thought of a plan...  
  
Chapter 4: Suzaku's First Quest.  
  
An 18 year old Suzaku, sat in the corner of Toda's throne room, gently spinning his sword by the tip of the blade on the floor. He was dressed in the dark red, Toda Ninja outfit which he finally recieved when he grew big enough. His hood was down and his mask piece rested on top of his leg. Over the years his black hair had grown and was now down to his shoulders though he tied it in a pony tail, leaving a few bangs in the front. His face remained without a beard of mustache since even when he hit puberty age, but that was no big matter to him. His sword was unique among the other ninja and for those swordsmen, his was not the traditional katana. While their swords were for both handed use with long 2 and a half foot blades, his was more of a one handed sword, with only a 2 foot blade. The handle was forged of painted gold, and Suzaku fancied the sparrow he had engraved into the hilt. He sighed some, bored for all the training warriors were taking a break and he had nothing to do. Then he heard master call his name.  
  
"Suzaku?" He looked up to see Lord Toda standing just feet away from him, a look of anger on his face. 'Is he angry at me?' Suzaku thought 'Or something else?'  
  
"Yes my lord?" Suzaku asked curiously.  
  
"I have a job for you and a partner." Toda said, crossing his arms. Suzaku climbed to his feet and bowed his head.  
  
"What is your command my lord?"  
  
"Jubei Sakai has taken over one of our allies, Hiroyuki Obata's castle. He is holding he and his princess daughter hostage. I will not let this hinder my plans. You and Seiryu go to the scene, kill all of those in your way and assassinate that bastard. Bring Obata and his daughter here for shelter." Toda said, looking at Suzaku as if he had strong confidence in him.  
  
"It would be my pleasure your greatness." Suzaku said with his cold smile and sheathed his sword, tieing his mask over his face and pulled his hood up as he walked out in the front of the castle where Seiryu awaited him. Seiryu was differently dressed, wearing a blue outfit other than red and wore a specially designed mask with the blue face of a dragon. His weapons were that of a katana and a mace on a chain connecting to a handle. Suzaku stopped and examined him. "You are Seiryu?"  
  
"Yes." The masked ninja nodded solemnly. "I am Seiryu: The Blue Dragon."  
  
"What are you, high rank? How come I've never heard of you before?" Suzaku said crossing his arms.  
  
"Because we don't let ourselves be seen from the normal ninja. We are the masters, those with high skill." Seiryu said, standing erect and watched Suzaku.  
  
"We? There's more of you?" Suzaku asked in curiousity.  
  
"Yes, there are three of us. Genbu, Byakko, and myself. Although Genbu is...heh..a strange fellow." Seiryu said with a chuckle and watched for Suzaku's expression.  
  
"Whatever, I do not care for that. Let's get this task over with, I feel like shedding blood." Suzaku said and began walking in the direction of the castle they were to rescue.  
  
"Ah, I like your attitude. You should consult Kagami and perhaps she will let you join us as a fourth member. You.....do have the skill." Seiryu said, and Suzaku looked over his shoulder as they walked.  
  
"Kagami recruits you?" He asked raising a brow.  
  
"Yes, she notifies Toda of finding a ninja in the clan with such high skill they must be differed from the normal ones and put into our little gang of....animal warriors. You have such skill you could outmatch the three of us." Seiryu said with another laugh. Suzaku remained quiet now, looking back ahead as he thought of this. 'Become higher in rank among Toda's ninja? Splendid!' He thought. 'Lord Mei-Oh would be pleased if that happened.' And he chuckled at the thought, as they continued on.  
  
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The ninja paced around his assigned post on the low bridge above the ice cold water, keeping a gentle hand on his sword(This is the fortress where Rikimaru fights the Queen Of The Icy Fireflies in Tenchu 2). His uniform was that of large baggy black clothes, with no sleeves on his tunic, leaving his muscular arms bare. He paced around until he grew bored and leaned against the wall of the entry into the well lit hallway with a sigh of boredom. It was only a few moments later that he heard a soft, muffled cry, then a heavy blow landing which sparked curiousity in him. He leaned off the wall and stepped into the hallway. "Hello?" He spoke, "Who's there?" He took soft steps against the wood paneled floor as he looked around, seeing the feet of one of his comrades from behind a corner. He ran towards the scene frantically, only to be met with a blade at his throat.  
  
Seiryu watched the gaurd approach fast, readying his katana, and at the last second he sprung out, swinging the blade across his neck, to take his head off. Blood splattered the wall as he lowered his sword. Hearing a gasp he looked up ahead of him down the hall to see another of the enemy ninja with claws as weapons.  
  
"You there!" The ninja said before Seiryu smiled coldly at the familiar, red dressed form of Suzaku, dropping from an opening in the roof, right onto the gaurd from behind, and watched him drive his custom sword into the back of his spine, and give it a twist, causing a snap of the bone. Seiryu flung the blood off of his sword and approached Suzaku with common steps, and examined his kill.  
  
"Nice..you impress me more by the minute." He said with a chuckle under his mask and looked up at the young man again. "Come..the entrance to the main room is right across this water gap." And he took off around a corner, rushing a single gaurd and ran him through with his sword. Suzaku followed, smiling at the blood on his sword. He had killed many on this mission all without being spotted. Perfect stealth kills they were, though he longed for a fight face to face, perhaps with this Jubei Sakai himself. He rounded the corner to see the dead gaurd, and Seiryu wiping the blood from his blade, as he watched a tall white and red trimmed building, right infront of them was a few steps they could easily reach with a large jump. He came by Seiryu's side and looked over the fortress.  
  
"Is this it?" He asked, as he looked for a secret way in, holding his bloody blade by his side, the drops dripping into the cam water.  
  
"Yes." Seiryu said, cracking his neck as he spoke. "There's a way to get in quietly at the top but there might be gaurds. You take the head front and distract them. I will surprise them when the oppertunity strikes." He told Suzaku as he unclipped his grappling hook from his belt and took hold of the device and aimed it at the roof, shooting the hook up and landed it on a metal beam on top of the roof. "Now go!" He then hit the recoil, pulling himself up on the roof as Suzaku dove from his spot, high into the air and sommersaulted, landing on the front step, and walked up to the door, flinging the loose blood off of his blade finally and simply pushed the door open.  
  
He stepped in, hearing gaurds laughing and cackling as they surrounded a young female, about his age with odd white hair and pale skin, dressed in a shiney blue and white kimono. Tied to a chair and gagged was a middle aged man who looked beaten and tortured. His black and red clothes torn some and his hair hung in his face. Infront of him was an elderly man with long grey hair with still some black color to it and a long beared and mustache. Suzaku kicked the door shut with a slam, alerting everyone inside. The gaurds and the old man turned with glares, the girl gasped and the tied up man groaned in surprise.  
  
"What?! Who are you?!" The old man said, turning to face him and glared with cold green eyes. "How dare you intrude into my fortress!"  
  
"This fortress belongs to Hiroyuki Obata, Lord of the Icy Firefly Ninja." Suzaku said, raising his sword to point accusingly at the old man. "You, Jubei Sakai, have stolen it from him and his daughter. I, Suzaku of the Toda Yoshisada Ninja, will retain it for them." And he raised his sword higher into a fighting stance.  
  
"Ha! So Yoshisada has decided to fight against me, instead of surrender! Well I will deliver your head as a message to him. Kill the ninja!" Sakai cried out in anger and the entire gang of ninja, 7 in all, rushed at him but stopped when they saw one of their allies who was supposed to be gaurding the roof, fall through the opening, dead with a slashed throat. Suzaku chuckled as the 7 looked up and Seiryu dropped down, landing by his side, sword drawn and now spinning his mace weapon in his other hand.  
  
"Might I be of some assistance?" He said with a chuckle.  
  
"Kill them both! Bring me their entrails!" Sakai screamed and the 7 ninja rushed forward, all with their swords. Suzaku dove forward and spun in the air, slapping two of them across the face and sending them to the floor. Seiryu snapped his sword forward to block an oncoming slash and used his mace to batter a ninja across the face, indenting his skull, then spun, slashing another across the chest, spilling his insides, literally across the floor. The other three rushed at Suzaku, who quickly disposed of them with a kick to ones throat, and a double slash across the throat. When they had fallen, he and Seiryu turned to Sakai. He had now drawn a spear from the wall. "I will not let you take back what I have earned!"  
  
"I'm afraid that's where your wrong." Seiryu said rushing forward, adverting Sakai's attention to him. Suzaku took this oppertunity to rush forward with his given speed by Mei-Oh and swung his blade at the old man's waist. In a flash he was back to back with him on one knee, holding his unstained blade. Sakai stood, facing Seiryu in shock as he gasped, and looked down at his new wound, which was opening up all around his torso, and his top half slid off of his bottom, and hit the floor. Suzaku rose to his feet and slid his hood off of his head, and clutched his mouth piece with two fingers, pulling it off and tossed it to the floor.  
  
"I will no longer need this.....for I can kill all of my adversaries who see my face..." Suzaku laughed, and turned to Seiryu as he finished untieing Obata. His daughter, the pale girl was standing by him and helping him stand. Seiryu chuckled and removed his mask, revealing a thinly mustached, middle aged face.  
  
"Well. That was simple, Suzaku was it not?" He said with a chuckle and sheathed his sword, hanging his mask on his belt.  
  
"A little too simple for my comfort. I loathe weakness with a passion, Seiryu. Those with power prove as much more worthy opponents for me." Suzaku said and shoved his sword in the sheath. "But we must now return to Lord Toda with Lord Obata and his daughter, correct?" He looked as the young girl of his age, seemed to look at him with misty eyes. He ignored it and walked to Seiryu. "Let us hurry..." And with a cold gaze, Suzaku walked towards the edge of the steps leading to the water, and once the three met him there, they returned to Toda Castle....  
  
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I hope you all liked this chapter. Send me some reviews of your thoughts and let me know if I should continue further. My idea for Chapter 5 is to introduce Suzaku into the three high ranked ninja, where he will become the famous Red Sparrow. 


	5. 5 A New Crowd

A/n: Thank you so much for reviewing. I'm glad to know my work is appreciated by other people. Anyway, here is Chapter 5.  
  
Chapter 5: A New Crowd  
  
"What a splendid warrior he is, Yoshisada!" Hiroyuki sat at the dinner table with Toda, complimenting on the new ninja's skill against Jubei. "He has skill like no other I have seen before. Excellent work with this one." He sipped his saki and laughed some, before looking to his daughter. "What do you think of him Yukihotaru?" Toda looked at her along with her father as she spoke.  
  
"He's.....much like an expert in the ninja skill for his young age. I...I admire that." Was all she said, and gazed over at the subject of their conversation who was sitting with Toda's warriors, Kagami and Seiryu, playing a card game. She smiled at him softly, her eyes going misty as she looked at him. He had a nice smile despite his shadowed eyes and ebony lips, and she found his voice stunningly tranceful. 'Is this love?' She thought, 'Or simple lust?'  
  
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Suzaku set down three cards face down and looked to Kagami. "Hit me twice." In response, Kagami pulled two cards from the dealing deck and slid them over. He picked them up and grinned. "Whoo yeah."  
  
"Alright, I'll show." Kagami set down her cards, faceup, revealing a pretty good pair. Seiryu frowned and set his down, Kagami had obviously beat him. Suzaku looked at her cards and whistled some, as if he had been beaten and with a sad expression, set down a royal flush, which brought his hidden smile across his face.  
  
"Thirteen rounds in a row. I must be good at this." He chuckled, and stretched back in his chair.  
  
"Lucky day is all." Kagami said seemingly angry, then laughed softly. It was then that Seiryu leaned forward.  
  
"Kagami we should talk about Suzaku." He said, glancing to Suzaku as he mentioned his named then back at Kagami.  
  
"About?" Kagami sat there, raising a brow as she also took a quick glance at Suzaku.  
  
Seiryu continued. "I think we should bring him into the higher ninjas, as one of the ninja Lords. It'd be good for him to meet the others and I think his skill is good enough. Very good enough."  
  
"Perhaps you're right. They will be here any minute now." Kagami said, gazing around as just then a animal roar, from a tiger came from a black hallway opening and the head of a siberian tiger emerged, and continued to walk out. Suzaku looked to see a rather short man, a midgit, sitting on it's back. He wore white pants, black stealth shoes and a blue vest. His hair was black as well as his mustache. A sword rested across his lap, fit for a man his size and the tiger headed right for them. Behind him Suzaku was stunned at the size of the next figure. A gigantic man with a cleanly shaved head, holding two fish shaped clubs over his shoulder in one hand. He himself wore orange pants, a green vest, green stealth shoes and white wrist bands. He had a green tatoo of a sun over his navel and followed the shorter man until they reached the table of Kagami, Seiryu and Suzaku.  
  
"Ah, Genbu, Byakko. Hello." Kagami said. In response the shorter man simply nodded respectfully, while the larger man spoke rather loud with not that much of perfect english.  
  
"Hi Lady Kagami!" He said and waved his hand to greet her. "Genbu is so happy to see you."  
  
Kagami smiled softly. "It's good to see you as well Genbu. And how are you Churro?" She looked at the tiger who lowered himself down so the shorter man could climb off, as he spoke for the animal. "Churro enjoyed his lunch of Sakai's corpse." He said, stroking the tiger's head.Kagami laughed softly and stood, turning to them.  
  
"I must see the three of you ninja at my qaurters in a half an hour. Do not be late, no exceptions." She said and walked passed them, going off into the same entrance they came out of. The three ninja and Suzaku watched her go, before Suzaku was left alone with the Blue Dragon, the Green Titan and the White Tiger all heading to the main doors, perhaps to do some private gang business, Suzaku thought. He took a seat and began gathering up the cards when he felt a shadow over him and looked up.  
  
"Hello..umm..Suzaku is it?" It was Hiroyuki Obata's daughter, Yukihotaru, in her same garments as the night before only clean, and her long white hair was pinned up.  
  
Suzaku slipped the cards back in the pouch and tied it, slipping it into his item belt then looked back up at her with his odd red and yellow eyes. "Yes, I am Suzaku. And who might you be?"  
  
She smiled softly, bowing to honor his place as a ninja. "My name is Obata Yukihotaru. Daughter of Obata Hiroyuki. May I sit?" She asked, gazing down at Suzaku with a gleam in her eyes.  
  
Suzaku paused before answering. "....You may." And in response, she sat at the table, crossing her hands over her lap, feeling a little shy around him. Suzaku noticed this and asked, "Nervous about something?"  
  
"Oh...no." Yukihotaru giggled softly, placing a hand on her mouth. Suzaku felt no need to be around her, so he stood to his feet with final words.  
  
"I bid you a good day." He said and turned, heading for the tunnel entrance he was told to go to. She had wasted him minutes so he figured he'd be there early. To his dismay he heard her stand.  
  
"You're going so soon?" Her voice sounded a little disappointed, almost pouting.  
  
"I...have a meeting to catch. Ninja business." He said and without letting her say another word, he walked and disappeared from her sight in the darkness of the room.  
  
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Suzaku found himself soon at the end of the tunnel, where he came to a dark lit room with torches. The door was open so in he walked and gazed around. There were five thrones across the room in a semi circle against the wall. The largest was the center, and was black and violet with an overhead stone figurine of a japanese woman, holding a fan across her face. To the right were two thrones, the closest being blue and black with a dragon gargoyle over the top as if watching over it's seated owner. The farthest throne was that of a white an silver color with a tiger's head over the top. On the other side was one of red and black with a bird's head, beside one of green and white with a muscular figurine over the top. Suzaku gazed around, examining the room as he took a few more steps in.  
  
"Ah, you're here." A voice said from behind. Suzaku turned to a dark corner, where he could make out Kagami's figure in the shadows. She stepped out, wearing a violet kimono, carrying something in her arms. To Suzaku it looked like folded towels with a golden pair of boots and mask on top of it. She stopped infront of him and extended it outward. "As the superior member of the High Ninja Lords of Toda Yoshisada's Clan, I promote you as our newest member, Suzaku: The Red Sparrow."  
  
Suzaku looked down at the objects in her arms, and slowly took them. When he had it in his own arms he could see the black cloth was actually a new outfit for him. Black with some odd red designs on it. He smiled darkly and looked up at her. The Red Sparrow...it had a good ring to it. He was now a Ninja Lord, or so he called it. Nothing would stop him from completing Lord Mei-Oh's orders now...  
  
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Please Review this! I hope you all liked it! I'm sorry it's a little slow on reaching game content. I might do another time jump after the next chapter. Again, please Review! 


	6. 6 The Red Sparrow

A/n: Well I'm not getting as much Reviews as I'd like. I thought there were alot of Tenchu fans out there. Either I'm wrong or I haven't been providing enough storyline or action into this. Hopefully this chapter will get the readers to like the character more.  
  
Chapter 6: The Red Sparrow  
  
The rain poured down over the old Ronin village(seem familiar?), but despite that people walked among the night covered streets. Children were allowed to play in the puddles and swim in the water filled trenches with their mothers happily watching over them. The tavern was crowded tonight with laughter and partiers, drinking loads of saki and enjoying hot meals. It was the village leader's birthday and everybody was celebrating.  
  
The gaurd leaned against the wall with his spear in hand, relaxing, and keeping a watchful eye over the civilians, making sure of their safety. He looked up at the sky and let his eyes close, rain water beating upon and running down his face. It felt good to him after a hard days work. His eyes opened when he heard a soft thud in the mud a few feet ahead of him and looked at the cause. He had only a split second to gasp before the masked figure infront of him, and felt a sharp pain in his heart as the stranger shoved the blade of his short sword into his chest. He winced and grabbed at his wound once the blade was pulled out and fell to his knees, looking at the blood on his hand then up at his attacker who had taken his life. He knew it. He reached up, grabbing onto the ninja's pants leg before he fell face first into the mud, his hand going limp and slapping the ground. His life had ended, all in the blink of an eye.  
  
Suzaku took a step back as he watched the fallen soldier, lowering his sword. His long, wet hair hung in his face over his golden sparrow mask. He tossed his head up to throw the stray locks behind his head and turned around, examining the rest of his mission surroundings. His clothing was now distinguishing from the rest of the Toda Ninja, signifying that he was higher rank than those who wore the identicle red outfits, which he had given up. His clothes were black with a half body design of a red bird of hell on each article. When put together they formed the symbol of his name, a red sparrow. His tunic was unlike the usual and only had one sleeve, over his left arm in which the other arm was exposed, giving the tunic more like a short toga appearance. His loose sash belt was black and it's ends hung to the side. Where his arm was exposed, he wore a gold wrist brace, while his covered wrist was bare. He looked behind him, once more at his victim then looked ahead again, and instantly shot out in a run for the nearest hut. Once reaching it he sprung into the air, and came down with a barely audible thud, landing in a crouch on the roof, and stayed low. He looked to his right, then left, barely being able to make out the tiny figure crouched atop another roof. When he stared long enough, he recognized it at Byakko. Rising to his feet, he made his way over, hopping from roof to roof with expert stealth until he came to the short ninja's side.  
  
"The entrance is clear...." Byakko said, not even having to crouch to be seen. He could stand and not be made out due to his size of only 3'0 at the most. He held his thin blood stained sword in his hand as he turned to the taller ninja, peering through the eyeholes of his white tiger mask. "Where are the others?"  
  
Suzaku kept his eye on two gaurds at a post near the gate which lead to the village main parts as he spoke in his dark, grim voice. "Seiryu is making his way around the back. I had Genbu gaurd the gate incase anyone else came through against us. Without his loud mouth, we should be able to keep a low profile.."  
  
Byakko nodded. "Good thinking, Sparrow." He turned to watch the gaurds as well. "We will need to do something about them before we can make our way through." He looked down as if a thought came into his mind, then back up and turned to Suzaku again. "Churro and I will take care of them. When they are dead, make your way over the gate and find the target. Avoiding being seen shouldn't be a problem for you."  
  
"Has it ever?" Suzaku said as final words, before he rose and leapt from the roof, onto another, heading for a house beside the gate's side. For two years now he had been known among Yoshisada's men as The Red Sparrow of the Four Ninja Lords. This was his fifteenth major mission since. The task here was simple: Toda Yoshisada wished to expand his territory and in order to do so, the villager leader needed to be disposed of as well as the gaurds loyal to him. Villagers would be forced into slavery while young ones, like Suzaku, forced into ninja training.  
  
He lowered himself behind a small fence, hiding in the brush as he watched from a close distance, Churro in the shadows, and Byakko nearing on a roof, readying an arrow in a bow he had taken from a dead gaurd. Byakko released the string, sending the arrow into one of the gaurd's throat, and Churro launched himself from his hiding place and tackled the second gaurd under him as he clamped his teeth over his neck and squeezed. The gaurd stopped struggling in a matter of seconds. Byakko nodded from where he stood and Suzaku made his way to the door and quietly parted it, slid through and ducked behind a pillar, searching with his ki sense and eyes which he kept hidden under a black, transparent bandanna. There were none. He ran from the pillar, across the empty landfill(where the barrels are in the game) and stopped at the other side where the next two large doors were. He pushed them open and walked through, and took a look around. In the distance, he spotted Seiryu, slicing down a gaurd who appearantly had spotted him. He shadow ran to the short wall and hopped up, then crouched, watching the main house in the near distance. His eyes narrowed in determination as he rose into a crouching-standing pose and began running along the wall towards the house. Once he reached the end of the wall, leaving the house just a few meters away from him he hopped from the roof, and lowered himself behind a hut, drawing a dagger from his sleeve and turned from his hiding place to see the patrolling gaurd. With barely a second's hesitation, he flung his wrist, sending the dagger into the man's throat, dropping his carcass to the wet, muddy ground. The weather seemed to change just then, and he looked up at the sky as the rain stopped. Next he returned his attention to his most recent victim and made a careless walk over to the body and reached down to retrieve the assassination weapon. Just as his finger brushed the dagger's hilt, another dagger, unlike his, slapped into the ground just an inch from his hand. He jumped back, raising his sword just as another dagger came at him, and bounced off his rising blade. He looked up in the direction from which they came, as two figures came sommersaulting off of the house's rooftop, and landed on the other side of the one gaurd's body, ten feet to be exact from Suzaku.  
  
"Stop right there, you dishonorable murderer..." One of the figures said as he looked up. He was a tall man, about equal in height to Suzaku himself, and wore a single claw glove as a weapon. His clothing was that of loose, black pants with grey stealth boots and a black mouth mask and hood which left only his eyes visible as they narrowly glared at Suzaku. His hands wore gloves, which exposed his fingers, and he was shirtless, baring a small black tatoo on his chest, which Suzaku guessed was some ninja sect. With him was a younger male, perhaps only in his teen years. He bore no weapons, but the gloves over his hands were a special kind with metal armor over the tops and knuckles, signifying he must be a specialist in unarmed combat. As for his outfit he wore navy blue, loose ninja attire pants and black boots, and a tight fitting grey, sleeveless, net shirt. His hair was a little long, and parted in the middle of his head, leaving the ends just at his chin. He stared back at Suzaku with anger and disgust.  
  
"So..." Suzaku chuckled darkly. "You think you two can stop me from killing the old goat inside that house behind you, eh? How amusing 'that' is." He gripped his sword tightly and watched both of the ninja. The oldest one, in the mask, stepped forward, ahead of the younger one.  
  
"Tatsumaru.." He said, keeping an eye on Suzaku. "...keep the village leader safe. I will take care of this madman." And he raised his claw glove. The boy nodded and turned, running for the house, leaving his comrade, alone with Suzaku. "...I will give you one chance to turn away from this...if not..you will have to die.."  
  
Suzaku threw his head back, uttering out a loud, dark cackle, then looked back at the ninja. "You are quite brave....but very foolish...I will have to kill you for standing in my way.."  
  
The masked ninja, crouched down, readying himself in full stance. "Then in the name of the Azuma Ninja clan...I Rainnosuke, accept your challenge..."  
  
"I am Suzaku....The Red Sparrow..." Suzaku said, squeezing his sword "...remember the name well..for it is the last that will touch your ears before you die....Commence!" He said, raising his sword, and bent his knees, ready to do battle with Rainnosuke....to the death.....  
  
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And that's it for Chapter 6!! Suzaku meets an Azuma Ninja named Rainnosuke in a fight to the death. What will happen between these two? Please, R&R!! 


	7. 7 The Azuma Ninja

Disclaimer: You know dern well I don't own Tenchu. If I did I'd be the happiest person in the world, but I am content with writing Tenchu fics for your pleasure.  
  
Chapter 7: The Azuma Ninja  
  
"Commence!" Suzaku said, aiming his sword at the claw weilding ninja. Rainnosuke charged forward, throwing a fury of slashes with his clawed gloves, in which Suzaku slapped each attack away with his sword. It wasn't easy though for this ninja had impressive speed and each shot came dangerously close to actually hitting the Red Sparrow, and if even one did, it could mean his end. The combo ended with an entangling of enemy weapons, and a struggling push against eachother. Suzaku grunted and was lucky enough to kick Rainnosuke in the stomach to push him backwards and untangle their blades. Following up without even a second thought, he rushed the ninja and swung his sword horizontally at his opponent's throat. Rainnosuke stepped back and slapped the sword away and moved in again, this time, with his other claw glove, tore tie three blades across Suzaku's upper chest, causing him to stagger back. Suzaku put a hand over his wound and looked at the blood, and back up at Rainnosuke, with a snarling growl.  
  
The fight raged on for what seemed like an hour or so. Slashes and cuts were exchanged, kicks, punches, even high flying slams to eachother, both men aiming to kill the other for their own cause. It had not gone on as Rainnosuke had planned, nor Suzaku. It seemed as if they were at equal in strength and skill. All until the Sparrow's blade, pierced the heart of the ninja hero, and left him dying on the floor with a deep wound, blood running down his bare chest. He groaned as Suzaku rose to his feet, and clutched his blood covered blade edge. He heaved over, using the sword like a supporting staff and watched as Rainnosuke could not even speak, but merely choked his last breaths, and lay his head into the wet, muddy ground, and died.  
  
"So much for your quest of righteousness....ninja..." Suzaku held his gut where he had suffered a nasty kick, as he spoke to the corpse. Rebuilding strength, he stood erect and made his way to the red house. Upon reaching it, he pushed the door in and took a few steps inside. He was met with the town leader, Zennosuke, kneeling behind the ninja boy, 'Tatsumaru'. Suzaku slanted his head to the side, sighing. "You're brave little ninja...but if I could kill your comrade.." He paused to raise his sword up, wanting the boy to see his ally's blood which covered over half of it, "....you should be no problem for me."  
  
Tatsumaru looked shocked. "...You killed Rainnosuke..?" Suzaku chuckled, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he looked coldly at Tatsumaru, raising his sword.  
  
"There is no Rainnosuke....only the bloody heap of a carcass, rotting out in the rain..." Suzaku cackled softly under his mask as he took a step forward. Before he could take another, the back door flew in and a group of village gaurds came in, as more flooded in through the front. Desperate, the ninja boy produced a smoke bomb in his hand and threw it to the floor, emitting smoke throughout the entire room. The gaurds and Suzaku coughed. When it cleared, the little ninja was gone with Zennosuke. The gaurds surrounded Suzaku, angry and began attacking. But the ninja hardly had to put any effort into destroying them. Swords clashed, blood spewed, gaurds fell and screamed, Suzaku cackled darkly as he slashed and hacked away. Suzaku finished with a slash across the last gaurd's throat, and a kick to his chest, throwing him out the front door. He glanced around for Zennosuke. Gone. Kuso!(Damn!) He rubbed the blood from his blade on the gaurd's chest outside as he stepped outside again, glancing around to now see that Toda's ninja were fleeing with young boys and girls, to go into training for one of Toda's warriors. He sheathed his blade and walked through the wet, muddy ground, to he front entry where Genbu, Byakko, Seiryu and Kagami and Toda waited, the Lord and Lady upon horses. Suzaku looked up at them, almost ashamed at his failure as he announced it.  
  
"Zennosuke.....is gone, my Lord." He said, glancing up at them, panting from such a battle he had with that Rainnosuke fellow. He was sure something. An 'Azuma Ninja'? 'They must be great warriors', thought Suzaku, 'I will have to face me another, hehehehe.'  
  
"I know." Toda sat up on his horse, looking down at Suzaku. "Do not feel at fault. We did not expect the Azuma Ninja to show up here."  
  
Suzaku hid his surprise, almost jumping at the fact his master knew of the warriors. He, instead, looked up at the Lord. "The Azuma Ninja?" He acted oblivious, in hopes that Lord Toda would know something and tell him more about these people.  
  
"Yes." Toda seemed to be able to tell Suzaku's interest in the warriors, and he smiled. "...Come Suzaku, take a horse and ride beside with Kagami and I. We will tell you all about them that we know."  
  
A grunt ninja guided a village horse that had been stolen in the raid over to Suzaku. The sparrow ninja mounted it and took the reins in his hands and the clan began to march out, Suzaku riding, as instructed, beside Kagami and Toda.  
  
"The Azuma Ninja.." Toda began, "..are lead by a man named Azuma Shiunsai. Like our warriors, they live in shadow, and use their skills to stop the deeds of war lords from their dreams. They have done this many times to us, and we have yet to defeat them. But--"  
  
"I killed one..." Suzaku carelessly, cut the high lord off, and Toda seemed shocked, as did Kagami. Not that he interupted him, but his words...that he killed an Azuma Ninja.  
  
"You slew an Azuma?!" Toda's surprise was met with a dark, gleeful smile. Suzaku showed no happiness nor disappointment. He remained emotionless as he rode.  
  
"Yes...he called himself, Rainnosuke. And there was a boy with him, Tatsumaru. He seemed about Kagami's age, perhaps a bit younger. I would have had his head as well but I was....interupted."  
  
Toda smiled more, "I am in debt to you my boy. None of my men have ever killed one of Shiunsai's ninjas. You may be in due for another prommotion."  
  
"Thank you my lord...but if you'll excuse me," Suzaku said, looking at the two superiors again "I must speak with the others." And without another word he hopped off of the horse, and turned, heading back to where Genbu, Byakko and Seiryu walked. When he arrived he was met with a soft laugh from Seiryu.  
  
"Some of the men say you defeated one of the Azuma Ninja. You are a skilled master, Suzaku." Seiryu chuckled softly. Byakko, riding his tiger, also looked up at him.  
  
"Churro and I congratulate you, Sparrow." Churro, as if understanding his master's words, looked up and gave a deep purr to Suzaku. As they walked, two gigantic arms suddenly scooped Suzaku up from the ground off of his feet and he felt like a giant python was squeezing the life out of him.  
  
"Little buddy Suzaku is grand master of ninja fighters!!!!!" The annoying, familiar voice of Genbu filled his ears, and Suzaku realized that the big dope head was hugging him from behind. The big man had strength. He had to give him that, for he could hardly breath. Suzaku struggled.  
  
"Put me...d-down you idiot!" Suzaku choked out and Genbu obeyed immediatly, smiling down at him as he turned around. Suzaku could hear a few of the ninjas laughing softly as they passed. He glared up at the Green Titan and roughly poked his bare, fat stomach with a finger. "If you..." He growled, "...ever...and I do mean ever, lay another finger on me unwelcomed, I will tear those fat slabs you call arms off and beat you beyond oblivion you dumb oaf." Genbu looked down, clearly scared of Suzaku, as his unique voice gave an added intimidating effect to his firery attitude. "..I eliminated an Azuma with hardly any trouble...so do not think I can't destroy you with no effort at all!!" He turned, walking again at a fast pace, before Genbu could come up with some stupid retort with his turtle sized brain. His thoughts returned to the Azuma Ninja. He couldn't stop thinking about them. He wanted to meet more! Kill more! It would only increase his skill and knowledge by a big bunch! With that gained skill he could serve his real master, Lord Mei-Oh to his fullest, and make him quite proud. He remembered the name: Azuma Shiunsai, Azuma Ninja. The two would stir in his head forever...and he would see to it that they too, would remember him as well....  
  
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I hope all of you like it. Suzaku turns into Onikage more and more every day doesn't he? Hehehehe. Well I'll try to get the 8th chapter up way quicker than this one. R&R please. 


	8. 8 Step By Step

A/n: I hope this story isn't getting boring. I'm just trying to go into Suzaku's personality more before I go into the game content. So here's chapter 8. The Red Sparrow progresses!  
  
Chapter 8: Step By Step  
  
The bedroom was dimly lit with only a few burning candles, mainly set near the shoji screen door and walls. Suzaku lay on his back with one hand lazily draped over his bare, pale chest as he slept on his futon matress. His sword, and mask were with his wardrobe, which had been washed earlier, now all hanging on a rack on the far wall. His chest rose and fell with each steady breath, as his inner mind stirred in his dream-like state.  
  
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"The Azuma Ninja...this will be most interesting." The swirling green light gave off Mei-Oh's voice in a soft but dark, evil tone. Infront of it, in the middle of the dark, abyss like wasteland, which resembled a scene of a hideous battle come to past, stood Suzaku in his dream, wearing his black sleeping kimono. He looked up at the emerald light, blinking his red eyes with the natural black eye shadow around them.  
  
"My task of killing the ninja, Rainnosuke, has attracted much thanks from the rest of the clan, my lord. Tell me: Are these Azuma, really that great?" Suzaku had been summoned by Mei-Oh in a dream, merely a moment after he had fallen asleep. He explained to his true Lord, the incident in how he failed to assassinate Zennosuke Otou of the Muzen assassin clan, but had succeeded in defeating an Azuma Ninja in battle. Mei-Oh seemed quite pleased, and told him how many people feared to cross swords with such warriors, yet he was proud of his newest servant, that he had not been afraid to face, the current, greatest Azuma Ninja, save for Master Shiunsai himself.  
  
"I want you to keep a close eye on the Azuma, Suzaku. Go to their village, with telling Toda you are on meditation practice." Mei-Oh's aura seemed to increase from the light as a dim blue electric wave ran through and around it. "I will contact you tomorrow night, for your report. I expect you to know their numbers and the amount of students. We can not let them discover Toda's plans or they will destroy his forces, and ruin our own."  
  
"But my Lord, where do I find this village?" Suzaku, tilted his head to the side, curious as to how he was to know where it was. Without a word, Mei-Oh seemed to answer his question. From the light came an emerald shot of lightning which struck him square in the forehead. He staggered back in surprise, holding a hand there. All of a sudden he knew exactly where the village was. It was only about 20 miles south of Toda's palace, near the mountains.  
  
"Now you know....." Mei-Oh's voice hissed from the aura, "Now, go."  
  
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Suzaku awoke with a start and sat up in his bed, looking around. It was daylight, and the candles in his room had burnt out. He rose from the futon, throwing off the covers, and walked, in his loin wrapping(sorta like ancient japanese underpants) over to his gear, to dawn it. It was time to fullfill his master's bidding.  
  
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He traveled, quick and swift, like the wind of a savage storm. Toda believed he was going to meditate peacefully, while he was, in reality, almost at the village of the Azuma Ninja, following the directions that Mei- Oh had inserted into his memory with the use of his magnificant powers. With that, and his ninja skill, he was there in no time, crouching on the roof of one of the huts just at the village border. It didn't seem much like a training grounds. More like a quiet, peaceful village of innocents. He gazed around, noticing that most of the inhabitants were elderly aged men and woman. 'How odd.' He thought. Suzaku rose into a low hunch and stealth-stepped along the house, and hopped to another roof, and another, and another, and so on and so forth. Finally he came to a large house, where from the roof he could see a small bonfire with people surrounding it. The scent of burning flesh touched his nose. Perhaps, it was a funeral for the dead, Rainnosuke. Around the fire were some old men and women in casual village clothing, and then some more classy dressed people. The most stylish dressed person, an old man with silky long white hair tied in a ponytail and a white beared. He held a walking stick and was dressed in loose black pants and a short green kimono. It must have been old man, Shiunsai, then three children, who looked like they were dressed for ninja training. 'Ahh the students.' Suzaku smiled sinisterly as he leapt off of the roof and landed quietly on his feet and crept along the wall for a closer look. One of the children was little Tatsumaru. He had tears of sadness running down his cheeks, as did the youngest of the three children, a girl of about 10 or so. Her smooth black hair pinned up behind her, she wore a short red, woman's training outfit with a pair of stealth boots. The second to oldest child, struck curiousity beyond Suzaku's belief. His short hair was the oddest of hair colors. Not brown, or black...but an odd white- platinum color. He had no tears of sadness at all, but it showed in his eyes. The boy looked as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. This Rainnosuke fellow must have been very close to these people. There was silence except for the crackling of the fire when the old man, Shiunsai, spoke.  
  
"Rainnosuke, our dearest friend and ally. You will be missed, but remembered, as a great, and honorable warrior." He spoke, and bowed his head for a moment, then looked up. Glancing at the children, he then turned and headed for the inside of the house. As Suzaku hear the shoji door close, the young girl exploded into tears, and lost balance on her shaky knees, falling to the ground, crying hard into her hands. Tatsumaru knelt down and put a gentle hand on her shoulder as the platinum haired boy watched her. Tatsumaru spoke softly to her...  
  
"Don't cry, Omon. He will be watching us from the heavens. He'll keep us strong." With this, he managed to hug her gently and comfortingly. It seemed that Tatsumaru was like an older, loving brother to these two younger youths. He seemed to love them very much.....'Their warm hearts, sicken me.' Suzaku thought and gave a mental cackle to himself. The expressing of care by Tatsumaru to the girl, 'Omon' made him want to throw up. How could someone be so weak, to mourn for a fallen fellow warrior. Suzaku, himself, had no love for weakness, only power, which he had expressed greatly so far, althought Yukihotaru seemed to have a quirk for showing, a sort of, 'love' for him. He didn't see how a princess could love a vile creature like him. Not that he thought low of himself. But he still didn't understand how he could be seen as one to recieve love from a woman. He was a warrior and that was that.  
  
"Chikara, go on and get ready for training. I'll be there shortly after I take care of Omon." Tatsumaru spoke to the platinum haired boy who was dressed in a green training gi. Silently, Chikara nodded and walked off, out of Suzaku's eye range, soon followed by Tatsumaru who was walking with Omon to her room. Suzaku turned and leapt up onto the roof and crept along it to watch the odd-haired boy. He emerged from a room in a hut, holding a sparring sword, also known as a kendo stick. 'So the little ninja is to be a swordsman. How delightful' Suzaku smirked under his mask. He hoped to meet this boy in combat in the later years. The silence was broken when Tatsumaru came from behind the big house, right at the boy, yelling out as he leapt off of the short rise and flew right at him, sending a kick for his chest to begin the practice, and the spar was on. It was a fury of punches, kicks, and swings of Chikara's kendo stick, to counter an attack Tatsumaru's martial arts. Chikara seemed to be very skilled with a blade.  
  
'This boy may be useful to Lord Toda. If not he shall meet death by my sword.' Suzaku could almost see the day he would fight this young boy. Something about him struck a feeling, and told him that they would definatly meet again, as well as Omon and Tatsumaru. For now, his work was done here. He leapt from the roof, sommersaulting several times until he landed on another roof and took off to return to Toda's castle.  
  
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"So..." The green light, representing Mei-Oh burnt bright infront of Suzaku as they communicated in a dream that night. "..There are three more you say? Tatsumaru and these two, Omon and Chikara. Hmmm..." Mei-Oh went silent, and Suzaku did not respond to him yet, as he soon continued, "The Azuma Ninja are now in slow progress. Shiunsai will not send Tatsumaru alone against us for he is not yet as skilled as Rainnosuke. Toda needs not to worry about them for now."  
  
Suzaku nodded, "I understand my lord." And looked up from his kneeling position at Mei-Oh. "Is there any other request you have for me?"  
  
"No. For now, you are to strictly follow the orders of Toda. I will contact you again when my plan for arrival progresses. Sayonara, Sparrow." Mei-Oh echoed as Suzaku suddenly awoke the morning after, glancing around. He got up, dressed, and stepped out of his room to recieve any orders Toda may have for him today. He continued to think about what Mei-Oh said about the ninjas at a slow progression, how they would not be any trouble for awhile now, possibly even a few years. Everything was continuing to fall into place. Suzaku just had to follow Mei-Oh's orders to see that it went through. Inch by inch and step by step, they would succeed and Suzaku would soon go from following Toda, to following Mei-Oh in full...  
  
*********************************************************************** Perhaps this chapter is a little too short, but I pretty much just wanted to gradually but surely, introduce a few new characters. For those of you who are mega Tenchu buffs, you will know that Omon is Ayame's real name before she graduated through her training, and that Chikara is the child, pre-ninja name for Rikimaru before he graduated. Tatsumaru's was Tatsukichi but as obvious, he's already graduated to ninja. I found it funny that a reviewer, of my 7th chapter, "Leness" asked about Rikimaru and Ayame appearing, and I had already typed up their appearance hours before I read it. So I must say that Leness, this chapter is pretty much an answer to your question. Readers, will see much more of the two famous Azuma warriors. R&R also, please. 


	9. 9 Defeat With Benefits

A/n: I hope the ideas for this chapter are enough to make it not so short. For all those who are wondering, I'll soon begin the Tenchu 2 events because I'm running out of my 100% custom ideas. But anyway, I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. Action packed.  
  
Chapter 9: Defeat With Benefits  
  
It had been a week without real action for Suzaku and the other three lords. All they had been sent on were individual retrieval missions. Items included battle plans from rival camps, children for training, other boring junk, was how Suzaku saw it. He wasn't a thief, and he wasn't a damn kidnapper. He was an assassin. He had recieved his skills from Mei-Oh for one purpose: to kill.  
  
He sat up on the lowest roof pane, of the fortress, running a sharpening stone across the edge of his blade to sharpen it. His mask rested beside him, and he watched the stone through his one-way transparent cloth over his eyes. His blade had been without fresh blood since the mission in the Ronin village. He could almost feel it's thirst for the blood of a victim. He had just replaced the sword in his scabbard when he felt the ki of Kagami before she landed right beside him. He looked up at her, his onyx lips curling into a dark smirk.  
  
"Suzaku, Lord Toda calls us." She said softly, dressed and armed for some sort of fight. Were they going to be sent on a mission for battle? He sure hoped so.  
  
"On my way, my Lady." He said softly with a dark chuckle and picked up his mask, pulling it down over his face and followed her down off of the roof, twisting his body in a 180* turn to face the doors and made his way in by her side. A table was surrounded by the other three high ninjas, other ninja generals and Toda. Kagami took her seat next to Toda and Suzaku sat in between Byakko and Seiryu, thankful he didn't have to sit next to Genbu. The three lords had their masks on as well, Toda was dressed in his red war armor. Hiroyuki and Yukihotaru stood close by, Yukihotaru as usual, giving Suzaku a dreamy eyed look. And as usual to that, he merely glanced up at her, still not understanding what she saw in him.  
  
"My warriors:.." Toda began suddenly, once everyone was seated. "A ninja scout of ours, Akechi," He gestured to a ninja seated close to his right, unmasked. He was a lanky fellow, and filthy. "was on a routine scout when he discovered the location of the menace which has caused us much trouble: The Azuma Ninja village." Suzaku looked up, wondering what the point was as Toda continued. "Their village is not more than 20 miles from here. This evening we set out to put this nemesis of ours to an end in their very dwelling. The village is full of villagers who, compared to our soldiers, are poor in combat. There are three students who will bring little trouble and with enough men, we can defeat old man Shiunsai himself. You have until dusk to prepare in whatever you need for this battle. This is a sudden order for a war, yes, but these people are weak and foolish. They should be no problem for us. Are there any questions?"  
  
Suzaku remained silent, not having any real questions that needed asking. He didn't see why they should really waste their time on a currently harmless village who posed no threat to them. It seemed no one had questions until that fool, Genbu spoke up.  
  
"Umm, Lord Toda? Genbu wonders why we go to pick on defenseless people?" Genbu had his mask up on his head, so his stupid, drooling expression showed that he still hadn't gotten it into his thick head that Toda, according to Suzaku, was a smart leader and struck the enemy when they were weak. In response to the Green Titan's question, Toda was an outburst of annoyment. "Because you damned idiot, if we let them grow stronger, they will have enough skill to defeat us as their ninjas have already killed over a thousand of my men in the past 10 years!" He slammed his fist on the table. Genbu jumped a bit in surprise, scared of the lord. Everyone else remained quiet, afraid if they said something it would anger Toda. He soon relaxed and placed both hands calmly on the table again, his expression going back to a smile although deep down he was still angry at Genbu. "Now...you are all dismissed to prepare. I expect these weaklings to be defeated rather quickly. Now go."  
  
The people at the table pulled out of their chairs and rose, scattering to their qaurters. Suzaku turned, walking for his room, heading down the hall of shoji screens until he reached his room entrance, sliding the door open. Just as he did, a familiar femanine voice filled his ears and he looked up.  
  
"Going to war tonight, hmm?" He turned around to look. It was Yukihotaru. She was shorter than Suzaku by half a foot. She still had that odd white hair and wore her sparkling, diamond blue kimono. He looked down at her, letting out a heavy huff from under his mask.  
  
"And what is it you a woman like you?" He almost hissed out.  
  
She looked up at him, raising a brow. "What do you mean 'a woman like me'? You think I'm like normal women? Weak, defenseless, pitiful?" Suzaku, to her surprise, actually nodded, and she could tell from instinct that under that mask, his expression...his...oh so handsome expression was producing a smile. She looked down with a smile and a soft laugh, and in the blink of an eye she suddenly drew a dagger from under her kimono and had the tip of it at Suzaku's throat. The ninja warrior, didn't even expect it and he froze, even gasped in surprise. She looked up at him and tilted her head, smiling almost cutely. "I'm not like other women. Even that Kagami whench is no match for the Princess Of the Icy Fireflies, hmm?"  
  
Suzaku chuckled, "You interest me...Yuki." It was the first time he had spoken her name, and not even her full name. But a nickname for her he had made up off the top of his head. He reached up, placing his hand over his mask and clutched it by the nose of the sparrow and pulled it from his face, looking down at her. His other hand reached up with his index and middle finger, tugging the blindfold off of his face, looking at her with his burning red eyes. She smiled back at him and reached up with her other hand as she lowered the dagger, brushing his cheek with her fingers. Suzaku glanced to her hand, then back at her. "What do you see in a cold hearted killer?"  
  
Yukihotaru laughed softly, "You're a man who's not afraid to express his true opinion, even to his lord and master. I admire a trait like that in such a warrior." And then she leaned up, her hand at his cheek went to the back of his head to pull him down and she pressed hers lips to his, giving out a sigh of content. A moment later she could feel his arms wrap around her waist, her own arms curling around his neck as they went into a deep kiss, and Suzaku pulled her into his dorm, sliding the door shut behind her as their lips remained locked. Immediatly, she fell under him, onto his sleeping mat, smiling up at him. Suzaku had never been with a woman, but it was never too late to try. She smiled up at him again, her eyes filled with a sudden love for him, his own, filled with a simple, deep lust. He leaned down closer to her, and they went into another kiss, this one even deeper. Yuki gave a muffled moan of pleasure under the man's lips as he ran his hand down under her kimono, and brought it around to grope her breast...and then it went much much further, gradually but surely...  
  
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"Suzaku!" He awoke to hearing his name damn near screamed, and could see the outline of someone outside his room, banging on the wall frame. He looked at Yukihotaru, nude under the covers. 'Well that was something.' The thought brought a laugh to his voice. "Suzaku!!!" Bam bam bam! The knocking got louder. He rose from his futon and pulled on his sparrow pants, and walked up, sliding the door open to reveal Seiryu, his mask up on his head, decked out in battle gear.  
  
"What is it Seiryu?" He asked, eyeing him coldly, feeling he should beat the dragon down right there for waking him up when he was comfortable.  
  
"The calvary is leaving for the village, are you coming or not?!" Seiryu reached up with two fingers, and tapped Suzaku's forehead. "What're you dumb in the head or somethin? Let's go!" He turned down the hall and took off, pulling his mask down. Suzaku rushed to get his gear on, pulling on his boots and tunic. No time to worry about his eye cover, he grabbed up his mask and sword, slipped the mask ontop of his head and buckled the sword in it's sheath around his waste, and headed out, closing the door behind him as he ran for the armory to load up real quick. He dawned some shurikens, a blow gun with some poison tipped darts, a grappling hook, and one medical canteen. 'I lost track of time, how stupid can I be?! Women are bad luck.' He finished loading and ran out, down the hall into the main entry room as he noticed the gate was rising. 'Kuso!' He ran, pumping his legs as fast as they could take him and traveled up the near verticle gate, leaping through the gate just before it got too small for him to do so. At the top he sprung off, leaping over the surrounding stream around the castle which was hiding a bed of razor sharp blades for any intruders who might try to get in, and sommersaulted, landing at the back of the calvary. Pulling his mask over his face, he ran to find his spot with Kagami and the three lords. As he did, Kagami looked at him and smirked.  
  
"I hear you and Princess Yukihotaru are beginning to get well aquainted." This got a chuckle from Byakko, Seiryu and a few of the ninjas behind them. Poor little..er...big Genbu didn't understand the meaning. 'Thank Buddah or he might never shut up about it.'  
  
"Like it matters?" He said, annoyed that they made such a big deal of it.  
  
"I tell you, Suzaku." Byakko looked up at him. "Women are bad luck--OW!" He yelped as Kagami kicked him in the shin, not having to raise her foot that much.  
  
Suzaku smiled, "You're telling me?" And blocked a quick smack by Kagami and shook his head. "Uh-uh-uh Lady. Save that energy for the battle."  
  
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The sun was almost set, the stars and moon were out. The sun was merely a blood red sphere, poking it's head up from behind the mountains. Little Chikara was enjoying the stars with an old fashioned telescope, master Shiunsai made for him. Suddenly a sound caught his trained ears and he looked from the scope into the woods where he thought he saw a glow of flame. Bringing the telescope up to his eye he looked through to see the red armored men of Toda Yoshisada, the war lord he had only heard tales about. He rode in the front, five high ranked dressed warriors behind him, a woman, two men of normal size, a rather large fellow and a shorter one riding a white bengel tiger and behind them, several hundred men. This was well over the amount of people they had in the village, and the way they were dressed and their numbers didn't sound too reassuring. Desperatly, Chikara stood up and turned, running from his spot for Shiunsai's house, his face filled with panick and fear. He ran, leaping up the small but steep cliff that had the bathing pond on it, and leapt up the smaller drop near that, and ran for Shiunsai's house. He then, what the master would call rudely, yanked the door open and ran in, in the middle of one of his lecture sessions with Omon. Shiunsai, in his black pants and short green kimono he had worn on Rainnosuke's funeral, looked up, almost angrily, he was going to have to whip the student for such behavior, until he heard the words come from his mouth.  
  
"Master! Toda Yoshisada, is heading this way with calvary! They are dressed and armed for a war!" His youthful voice came out in a scared, hoarse choke. He was clearly panicked.  
  
"What?!" Shiunsai, flicked a strand of his white hair behind him and got up, walking to the edge of the cliff his house was on and narrowed his eyes, before he placed his hands together and closed them, focusing deeply on a skill ninja warriors only knew as "Ninja Vision" a skill only the masters knew. It could not be taught, but one had to discover it. It was a skill that could see from far distances, very useful too. For Shiunsai, it helped him see the calvary heading for the village. He opened his eyes, filled with fear himself. "Tatsumaru!!!!" In mere seconds, the young ninja graduate appeared at his master's side, and before he could speak to acknowledge his own presence, Shiunsai ordered. "Alert the village, we are under a sudden attack. Get all men who can fight even the slightest bit and arm them well!"  
  
"Yes master!" Tatsumaru leapt from the cliff, onto the house of the roof infront of it, and dove off that, calling out the warning.  
  
"Master Shiunsai, what do I do?" Chikara, looked up, blinking his big dark eyes at his father figure. Shiunsai looked down, with determination in his eyes.  
  
"My son, you study with the sword is that not correct?" Shiunsai looked down at platinum haired boy who he saw as his very own son. He had rescued him on a mission when he and some fellow ninjas were sent out to kill an evil samurai. When they had finished the servant and wife of the samurai discovered them and were quickly disposed of. As the ninjas went to dispose of the crying baby in the dead mother's clutches, Azuma Shiunsai stopped them, and decided to take the baby and raised him as his own. As soon as he could walk, he began training him for ninja skills. It was evident that the boy was somewhat of a weakling so Azuma called him, "Strength" or "Chikara." Since that day, the boy had grown amazingly strong and was soon the strongest boy in the village, and was well skilled with a blade already. He almost smiled at this memory but now was not a smiling matter, as he waited for Chikara to answer.  
  
"Yes master." Chikara nodded a few times, wondering why he asked.  
  
Shiunsai turned his attention to the weapon storage room. "Go to the armory and find yourself a blade. You'll have to help save our village."  
  
"Me? Help?" A smile crossed the young boy's face as he ran for the armory. "Wow!"  
  
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"CHARGE!!!!!" Toda roared out and set his horse to a galloping speed as his men roared out like thunder and charged at the village behind him. The ninja grunts, scattered from the soldiers and took to the roofs. Kagami lead the four high ranks into the side of the village. Just as Suzaku set foot on the territory, the sound of battle started with the clashing of swords. It was music to his ears.  
  
"Ahh, Lord Mei-Oh! Your souls will increase greatly this day!" And he dove off of the roof to enjoy some of the fun, beginning as he came down on a village woman who was fleeing from a soldier, driving his blade into her back and shoving it out through her chest, blood from the wound and from her mouth hit the floor before she did, and Suzaku twisted the blade to ensure a death. He ripped the blade out as his ki alerted him of an attack from the side, he glanced, acting unaware to see a rather old man in green village wear, charging him with a spear. Just before the spear hit him he showed that he was alert and rolled from the spear's aim, letting it hit one of his own ally soldiers in the leg, before he rose with a twirl, and sliced through the back of the man's neck and out the front, taking off his head. He turned to his screaming ally soldier and approached over to him. As he cried out for aid, Suzaku looked down at him. "What would you do for eternal life?"  
  
"Agh...wha?..I...I'd serve the dark lord himself! Now get this out of my leg please!" The soldier cried out to Suzaku. In response, Suzaku raised his blade and disposed of the disabled warrior, slashing him across the throat without a second thought, smiling at his words of serving Mei-Oh.  
  
"Good answer Hiricho." He chuckled. He spun around on the last second and raised his sword to deflect an arrow. The archer who shot it looked at him, very much afraid. "Ahhh.." Suzaku said as he dug out a shuriken. "I'll show you how to use weapons of distance." And he chucked the weapon through the air, right at the villager, nailing the fear-frozen man in the throat. He then made his way through, as the man fell dead, and found his way to the villages, exercise grounds. It really wasn't that bad of an idea. A trench, three stacks of sturdy wooden boxes of varying height and a stone wall along with a wide open area of flat ground. Suzaku could easily see the purpose of these, and he had to give credit to old man Shiunsai. An arrow slapped the ground, just near his foot, and Suzaku looked up at another archer. Smiling, he ran and traveled up the highest stack of boxes where the village warrior stood and drove his foot into his chest, kicking him down to the inside of the trench, then looked down and watched as the hurt man was suddenly pounced by Churro. The tiger roared and began tearing at the screaming man's flesh, soaking the ground in his blood. It was a shame the tiger wasn't his own pet. The animal had good taste for battle.  
  
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Blood spilt and three of Toda's ninjas fell. Their blood ran down the katana blade, Chikara had picked out as he fought beside Tatsumaru. Blood smeared his young face, stained his clothes, turned the bangs of his platinum white hair, red.  
  
"Agh!" Tatsumaru cried out as he almost lost an arm had it not been for his armored gauntlets, and drove his foot square into the groin of a soldier, and spun around, kicking him across the face. "Chikara, we can't win this battle, there's too many of them!" Chikara looked down, saddened. Tatsumaru was right. Without any help, they were going to die in their own village by the hands of this army. He squeezed his fist tight, as his other hand squeezed the hilt of his sword, and he looked up.  
  
"Tatsumaru...do not hate me for this..but try to fend on your own as long as you can!" And he suddenly took off in a run, making his way for the outside of the village.  
  
"Chikara! Where are you going?! Chikara!!!..Damn it.." Tatsumaru cursed out and at the last moment, deflected a scythe attack by a ninja, and drove his foot into the man's solar plexus, before he threw an arm around the older warrior's neck and twisted hard, hearing his neck snap. He was only 16, but he was a young, official ninja warrior, and he was dangerous.  
  
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Omon was skilled in the art of dual short swords, but she had not been trained in actual combat yet. Being only 10 years old, she was terrified of this fighting going on. She had seen some very close villagers to her, get slaughtered. She was huddled up in a corner. The door to Shiunsai's house was wide open, welcoming any enemy who dared enter, to come meet their death by the hands of the Grand Master himself. Armed with a katana, the 50 year old warrior, tore through his opponents like nothing. They were barely even enough to break a sweat on him. Omon was afraid when the beginning of the fray in his house, started when six ninjas and four soldiers stormed in. Now all ten of them lay, scattered across the floor with some sort of slash in their bodies that spilt blood from a lethal wound. Shiunsai snatched a flying arrow out of the air that was aimed for his chest and threw it back, scoring a shot in the archer who shot it's eye. Suddenly the sound of a crashing wall and Omon's cries turned his attention to behind him. Omon was crying loudly as a soldier raised his sword in the air to slice her down. Shiunsai lunged forward and shoved the blade through his chest from behind. The samurai dropped the sword and went limp. Shiunsai looked down at Omon, and gave a reassuring smile. She smiled back but only for a moment as she noticed something behind her master. Shiunsai realized it and his smile faded, but he was too late, as he felt cold steel rip through his body and protrude from his lower chest. He looked down to see a dragon blade, coming out of him, and he winced, groaning and clutched the blade.  
  
"Omon...r-run!" The little student girl got up and ran through the hole in the wall the samurai had made and fled, as Shiunsai fell to his knees, and winced, groaning out as he felt the blade slide out of him. He fell forward and rolled over on his back, looking up at a tall ninja male with raven black hair, his face concealed by a golden sparrow faced mask. His black outfit trimmed in red markings to form that of a sparrow. His blood dripped from his attacker's blade, as well as covered it half way. "Agh....why..do you do this?"  
  
Suzaku flicked his sword to the side, flinging some of the man's blood off of it before looking at the old ninja master, and chuckled. "Why?....People always ask 'why?'. But they never ask...'why not?'! You are a threat to the Toda Ninja sect, Azuma Shiunsai. I am Suzaku: The Red Sparrow. Remember it well, for it is the last name you will ever hear!" He raised up his sword for the kill.  
  
"MASTER!!" Suzaku looked up, and turned at the voice, but he only met a boot to the face, which threw him against the wall, and to the floor. He looked up to see Tatsumaru standing over Shiunsai, his fists ready.  
  
"Ahhh. If it isn't little Tatsumaru, the foolish ally of that Rainnosuke, who met his death by my blade." Suzaku said as he rose to his feet. He watched Tatsumaru even though Shiunsai, bloody and weak, uttered out some words.  
  
"You...k-killed...R-rainnosuke?"  
  
"Yes. He put up quite a fight although it wasn't enough. I have to admire the funeral you put up for him. Burning his rotting carcass is quite an honorable burial, I must give you that." Suzaku chuckled, mockingly.  
  
Tatsumaru fumed, squeezing his fists. "His ashes have been added in an urn with all of the other fallen ninja warriors. It is a tribute of honor you fool!"  
  
Suzaku grinned under his mask. "Well then...I suppose your people, if they survive that is, can add on two more urns to that rack!!" He lunged forward, slashing at Tatsumaru, but missed, as the boy tripped over Shiunsai and hit the floor, Suzaku staggered over them as suddenly, an arrow came in hard contact with his chest at the left side. He roared out in pain, and fell to one knee. Resting his sword hand on the ground, he looked up through the busted down shoji screen doors to see different samurai warriors fighting. They were fighting Toda's men, and tearing them down easily. He groaned and reached up, breaking most of the arrow shaft off and rose to his feet, ignoring the pain and stepped out of the house, forgetting the boy and old man who he figured would die with such a wound, and began aiding his allies in fighting these blue samurai. They were not much of a challenge to him but their numbers were great. In his wounded state, it wasn't long before the blue warriors got the best of him and he was slashed across the leg. He fell to one knee, but growled, reering up and impaling the soldier who cut him. Only a second later, he was too late to counter the next attack as one of the village fighters, came in from the side and ripped the top of his chest open with a set of three-clawed gloves. Suzaku fell to his back, and watched the man reer up for the kill, but at the last second, the man's blood hit his mask as Seiryu came in as his hero and whacked the man across the head with his mace. Looking down at Suzaku, he just about passed out to see him in this state.  
  
"Suzaku! Are you alright?!" He knelt down to give Suzaku cover as he dragged him to the side of Shiunsai's house to give him cover between it and the cliff.  
  
"Agh....what's going on?" Suzaku choked out, as Seiryu removed his allies mask to give him better oxygen.  
  
"The Senior Lord Gohda is here with his army. I don't know how they found out, but Toda has ordered a retreat!" Seiryu said as he looked around, growing nervous when he noticed that about six of Gohda's men had arrived at the scene and were looking for them. He looked back at Suzaku. "Can you walk?" He spoke softly. Suzaku nodded as he was helped to his feet. He reached up, grabbing the arrow by it's remaining stub of shaft and pulled hard, ripping it from his chest, causing the blood to flow. He winced as Seiryu dug into his item pouch and pulled out a gernade. Lighting it he threw it out towards the six men. They had only a few seconds to react before the explosion threw them out in all directions, throwing about four off of Shiunsai's cliff. "Come on!" He pulled Suzaku with him to the rendevouz point as the army of Toda's fled from the Azuma Village.  
  
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"Good work Chikara! Wise thinking there!" Tatsumaru slapped Chikara on the shoulder. When he fled he had donned a horse and hurried to Gohda castle where he alerted the Senior Lord himself and with his return, was followed by Lord Gohda and 800 men. He was surprised such an old man as the Senior Lord, actually came himself, being nearly 70 or so. It would have been better to send his son, Matsunoshin who was stronger in his young age. Some men of Gohda's took Shiunsai out on a bed as the army went to return to the castle, the remaining villagers and three students following them, leaving the demolished village.  
  
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Suzaku layed in the infirmary, having his wounds doctored. It pained him to have them sewed. He didn't understand it. He served Lord Mei-Oh, yet was struck down by peasant soldiers. He would soon find answers, that night when he drifted off to sleep, when Mei-Oh visited him again in a dream.  
  
"You are clearly vunerable to blind attacks, my loyal servant. I must give you a new gift. One that will come most useful to you." Mei-Oh spoke out. "I give you the power of the Demon of Shadows. With this you are immortal. You will die, only to rise again for all eternity." With that, a silent Suzaku suddenly felt a burning sensation as a red aura emitted his body. The aura began to seep in just after it turned to a glowing onyx color. Suzaku felt like his skin and insides were on fire. He awoke up, looking at his wounds and found no pain there. He noticed no stitches on his leg of chest where he was hit with the arrow, and after removing the bandages from his slash wound, he found it was healed, and instead of tear marks, he had three horizontal black streaks across his chest.  
  
"Lord Mei-Oh sure does work miracles." He said, admiring the power Mei-Oh had used to heal him and give him his new immortality. The thought of what he could do with all this power, made him histyrical and he leaned back, giving a soft chuckle at first. The chuckle soon grew into a normal toned one, but got louder, and only a moment later, Suzaku was booming with loud, dark, evil laughter. His chest bobbed, as he layed there, cackling uncontrollably. As he laughed he turned to see a medic, looking at him nervously from across the room. "What are you laughing at?!" Suzaku called out, insanely to him before his laughter continued. This scared the medic out of the room and Suzaku clentched his fists, feeling his immense power swelling through his body, his laughter soon becoming a roaring evil sound like some demon god as he went on for quite awhile.  
  
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Yes yes, so much power can drive a man mad, such as you see here with Suzaku. He turns more into Onikage every day doesn't he? I hope everyone enjoys this. We're only two chapters away from the start of Tenchu 2's roots! You've seen Lord Gohda Matsunoshin's father save the Azuma Village but it's almost time to jump forward and he has to die soon! Chapter 10 will probably be a full fleged chapter involving the relationship between Suzaku and Mei-Oh as ruler and servant. Chapter 10, coming soon! 


	10. 10 Lord And Servant

A/n: "Hahaha, I hope the last chapter was entertaining for you all!" Me: "Shut up Suzaku, you're to play your role in the story and keep your mouth shut unless I type up something for you to say." Suzaku: "I am not Suzaku you pitiful boy! I am Onikage! The faithful servant of Lord Mei-Oh, the dark lord who will rid this Earth of puny humans like you, and those Activision fools!" Me: "Umm there's a couple of problems. 1)You're not Onikage yet dumbass, we haven't even begun the Tenchu 2 section, we're still in the prequel, and 2) Activision signs your paycheck and they have copyright over you for any public media use." Suzaku: "Oh....I see...well then umm..I'm just gonna... go and get ready for Chapter 10." Sulks off, ashamed and embarassed. Me: "He may be a ninja but he sure is stupid sometimes. Anyway, welcome back people, it's time for Chapter 10!! It's not too long, but I promise, I'll make it up to any of those who are disappointed."  
  
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Chapter 10: Lord And Servant  
  
Suzaku, mentally, was in the dark, marble floored temple watching the portal of screaming and pleading souls try to press their way out but there was no hope of any possible escape. Torches dimly lit the area around the walls. It was the same temple he had met Mei-Oh as a boy, and little did he know, this would be their last meeting for a quite awhile. It was time for him to prepare for his ultimate test and Mei-Oh was go to give him some pointers. With out any warning, the lord's voice suddenly rang out loudly, making Suzaku jump.  
  
"A new era is rising, Suzaku!" His voice sounded colder and darker than ever. "It is time you begin it with a test. A test of survival...without me."  
  
"You are leaving my lord?" Suzaku asked, turning around in circles, trying to see if his lord would show himself somewhere. "For how long?"  
  
Mei-Oh's voice echoed out all over the room. "I will be preparing the gathered souls of death which you hhave earned me as well as the rest of Toda's servants. When finished I will have a grand army, and the Emperor of Japan will fall at my feet, and I will claim the country as mine, and spread my chaos upon this entire Earth! During this time, you are on your own. I am very pleased with you, my humble servant. I will allow you, to take a look at the years that have passed under my wing, I expect you to continue, this progress.." Suddenly the emerald portal shifted and became a large, smooth surface. Suzaku watched as it was filled with a white light and his life as a warrior flashed before his eyes. He saw the memory of how he defeated gaurds of Toda right before his eyes when he was just a boy. He grew up, training and killing those who stood up before him. He had saved Kagami from a group of enemy ninjas, sparing none of their lifes, but spilt their blood on the tatami floor. He aided Lord Toda in defeating their leader, then was given the priveledge of casting his burning head from the roof of Toda castle, into the wine stained grass where the lord's men attempted to flee, and the flames of the head ignited the grass and the growing flame caught up with the enemy and burnt them alive, leaving them helpless as archers struck them down. The day he met hi secret lover, Yukihotaru was when he and Seiryu saved her and her father Hiroyuki Obata. He smiled as he watched. These were the days he was just a low ranking grunt of a ninja, wearing the red fabric wardrobes with the mask and hood. He assassinated over 15 Ronin Villagers before enduring battle with Rainnosuke in which he spilt his blood in a shower upon the soiled earth. Mei-Oh spared him of having to remember all the boring thieving and retrieving missions and brought him to the war on Azuma Village. Although they had been defeated, Suzaku had fought well. He showed his merciless trait, killing defenesless men, women, children, and even one of his own allying soldiers to relieve him of the pain in his leg. He had come closer than anyone else, in an attempt to kill Shiunsai. Perhaps with a more well focused strike, he could have killed him with the first hit. A vision Suzaku did not remember then appeared. It was a ceremony at Gohda castle, involving Shiunsai who's chest was wrapped up. In front of him, knelt Chikara, with his head down. Suzaku listened to what they were saying. Shiunsai was congratulating Chikara for his efforts in the battle, at how he brought Gohda's men back to the village to aid them. The sparrow listened as little Chikara was given a new name, one to fit him more in his older ninja life. Shiunsai spoke it honorably.  
  
"Chikara. We, the Azuma Ninja, are now proud to call by your new name, Rikimaru."  
  
Suzaku smirked. 'So little Chikara is now a big boy eh? Rikimaru..' He smiled as the thought passed his mind. He hoped he would encounter him again in the future, when he was an older, more skilled warrior. He watched the screen still as it suddenly rippled and returned to the portal of screaming souls attempting to escape the abyss on the other side. Suzaku watched them, almost wondering what it was like to be in their place. A forever, dark, horrifying prison. The thing was that he wasn't in their place. He served Mei-Oh loyally as his faithful servant, doing his bidding. It was he, that put them there. Suzaku smiled wider when he could actually make out the horrified face of Hiricho, the soldier whom he had slayed with the wounded leg. He seemed to be looking right at him, crying and pleading, hitting the surface, almost trying to call out his name but the only thing he got out was moan of agony. Once again, for a final time, Mei-Oh spoke.  
  
"You are ready for the test, my warrior. Go now...and make your Lord proud!" His voice boomed out on the last few words, and Suzaku awoke in his room, at the break of dawn, his eyes simply opening. He didn't sit up, he just layed there. He partly wondered how he had gotten there, since his dream state began in the medical room. Was it another trick of Mei-Oh's? Not like it mattered. When he finally sat up he noticed his outfit on it's rack. It was cleaned of the dirt and blood, and all the tears that had gotten into it from the war were simply gone, as if that wasn't the outfit he wore for the battle. His mask looked freshly polished, shining goldly under the candle as did his sword at the foot of his gear, the blade, shined and newly sharpened. It was like he was recieving a fresh start. He squeezed his fists together and felt his strength renewed. He was full of energy. He got up in his underwraps and walked over to dress himself. He looked forward to his test without Mei-Oh. It would only make him a stronger, wiser warrior. Silently he picked up his mask off of the rack and stared into the empty eyes of it as he spoke to himself softly.  
  
"You will not be displeased my lord..." He smiled wide, with a dark chuckle. "You will be made the proudest of masters...I promise you...." He looked up to glanced out his window at the sun, rising from behind the trees. "And you, Chikara...Rikimaru....I know we will meet again when the time is right. And when we do, my blade's thirst will be quenched with your blood...and then Mei-Oh will rise, victorious and enter this world...as it's new ruler!!" And once more he went into a dark laugh. He felt it true. Mei-Oh would reign supreme when he entered the realm, and lord and servant would show the earth, the meaning of true rulership...  
  
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In between long and short, but I hope you all like it. Chapter 11 begins the funnest part for me to write, the actual Tenchu events, starting from Tenchu 2 of course, it being a prequel to Tenchu 1. So until next Chapter, enjoy Chapter 10, and catch your breath, because the ride has only begun! Bwahahahahahahhahaha!!!!! 


	11. 11 Birth Of The Burning Dawn

A/n: I hope everyone likes my story so far. In another 30 or so chapters, perhaps, it'll be finished. LoL. Now I'm starting the game events. So read please and I hope you enjoy. Send some reviews as well, please.  
  
Chapter 11: Birth Of The Burning Dawn  
  
The rain poured down over the war camp, turning once dry soil into wet, sloshy mud. The nearly pitch black area was briefly illuminated by a split second by a flash of lightning. Silence was broken by thunder. Early that day, Lord Toda had met with his ally, Gohda Motohide, a warlord himself. Motohide was the brother to the senior Lord Gohda and had raged an attack when the dying king, handed over his kingdom, to his son, Matsunoshin. Toda Yoshisada had sent a small handful of his ninjas along with, Genbu and Seiryu, lead by Kagami. Byakko was off in the woods, meditating with Churro, and Suzaku....  
  
He sat lazily, up in the top of a tree on the highest branch that could support his weight. He twisted a dagger into the bark between his legs boredly. He would have loved to attend that attack because he knew that perhaps the Azuma would be there. He hadn't seen or heard of them for four years now, and he hadn't gotten much action in that time either. He had finally married Yukihotaru, three years ago. They had a steady romance life. No children, which Suzaku was thankful for. He glanced around, behind him, watching some of the gaurds on their patrol. They seemed even border than he was, if that was even possible. He sighed under his mask and turned back, continuing to dig into the tree with his dagger, his wet, black hair hung down in the way of his face briefly, but did not block his vision. Another hour must have slowly dragged by before Suzaku could hear the galloping of a horse. His attention briefly shot up and he turned to look down. There were actually two horses. A soldier of Motohide, and Lord Motohide himself. In his arms he carried a small child that couldn't have been older than three or four years. Suzaku remained silent and wondered who she was. He watched him and the gaurd walk through the doors of the surrounding area where Toda and his two of his soldiers waited. Motohide set the child down and bowed to Toda.  
  
"Lord Toda!" He said honorably, "I bring you a token of my service! The daughter of the new king of Japan, Gohda Matsunoshin." He seemed proud, and trustworthy of Toda. Suzaku could already see the outcome. Stupid bastard. Toda leaned in his chair and gazed over the girl. Toda had seemed to age in the past four years. He now sported a small gotee and a mustach, and his hair was beginning to grey over but was still very black. He finally looked up at Motohide, questioning like. Motohide continued. "I thought perhaps we could use her for a ransom so that--" Suddenly Toda jumped from his seat, shouting angrily.  
  
"What?! You mean to tell me you did not kill your nephew?! Agh! You are useless to me!" He turned and angrily kicked his tea table over as well as his chair. Motohide seemed afraid. 'As you should be you pathetic twit.' Suzaku thought as he watched.  
  
"Toda. I-i promise you. Allow me to gather more of my troops to march into Gohda Territory, and my flag will be raised high over the castle!" He seemed like he was almost pleading.  
  
Toda smiled and looked up, his hand slowly reaching for his nodeachi blade as one of his gaurds stepped in behind Motohide's single soldier, drawing his katana and shoved it through his back, protruding it from his stomach. The soldier gasped and fell. Motohide turned in surprise and looked back at Toda, fearful as he drew his nodeachi samurai sword from his sheath and turned slowly. "Yes...but if 'my' troops march into Gohda Territory, then 'my' flag will be raised high above the castle." He smiled and raised his sword. Motohide tried to step back and plead but Toda moved too quick. In the blink of an eye, he swung his blade down, and ripped through his chest, dropping him to the muddy ground. He held his large wound and coughed up blood.  
  
"Y-you...liar..." Was all he could say before his life hastily passed on, and his body went limp. Toda resheathed his sword as his gaurd did his. Toda then chuckled.  
  
"Never trust another warlord, when rulership is on the line." Toda said and laughed loudly before he turned, fixing his chair and table. "Put the princess in one of our storage sheds."  
  
The gaurd reached down and scooped up the tiny child who was still asleep, rain beating over her adorable face. Not adorable to Suzaku, but she would seem adorable to anyone who didn't have a black heart. The gaurd then asked. "And Motohide?"  
  
Toda gave a huff of breath, turning as he sat in his chair and spat on the ground near the dead fool. "Leave his body there to rot. He'll be a fine feast for the maggots." 'Yes, he will Lord Toda...and you will too, in due time.' The thought of a recent idea Kagami came up with struck a reminder in the Sparrow's mind. In order for it to work out, Toda would have to die, and Suzaku saw no problem with that. Like the rest of these fools, Toda was just a pawn in Mei-Oh's game of success. He had heard no word of the dark king for four years as well. He wondered when he would be contacted by him again...  
  
Suzaku's thoughts were soon interupted by a thud in the wet soil, and he turned, to see a young female ninja running from a tree near the main tent, heading for the shed area. He recognized her. Omon. The little girl four years ago from the Azuma Ninja village. Suzaku smiled. Where there was here..there was the other two surely. He sat back against his spot in the tree and simply waited. More time must have passed as well..because he drifted off to sleep.  
  
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The sound of shouting, woke Suzaku up with a start. It came from Toda's open roofed tent. He looked and saw a man in lightweight ninja gear with black hair tied in a ponytail, standing toe to toe with Toda. Behind Toda, were two of his gaurds. The ninja was another familiar. Could it be? Yes! It was little Tatsumaru! Only he was older now, a full grown man with much more body muscle.  
  
"You will pay for your crimes...Toda Yoshisada..." Tatsumaru spoke, calm and suttle. Toda growled and gripped his sword, as his two other gaurds raised a spear and bow&arrow. The fight started abruptly. The two gaurds fell in no time with a broken neck for the spearmen and for the other, a reflected arrow to the throat. The fight with Toda and Tatsumaru was much more entertaining. Tatsumaru actually drew a weapon this time. A very valuable looking sword. Suzaku recognized it as the legendary Izayoi. He had only heard tales of it. It was a true honor to anyone who was given it, and that honored soul was Tatsumaru. Suzaku only got to watch a few minutes of the fight before he heard fast but light footsteps approaching the tent from behind. He turned to look at a youthful teenager, a couple years younger than Tatsumaru, in a light weight, green ninja wardrobe, and a mask covering half of his face, armed with a katana. Suzaku didn't need to question his identity. His platinum white hair was more than enough evidence of who he was. He scooped up his dagger he was cutting into the tree with and threw it at the ground, where it hit just near the young man's foot. Rikimaru stopped suddenly as Suzaku leapt from the tree and turned his body halfway as he did a full sommersault, landing in a crouch, and slowly rising, his sword drawn now.  
  
"I am Suzaku: The Red Sparrow." Suzaku chuckled some. He loved announcing his title. He was still that boastful warrior from those past years as a teenager. He looked up from under his mask at the boy, locking eyes with him. "You may not pass this--" He began to say but Rikimaru interupted him.  
  
"Stand aside!!!!" The ninja boy raised his voice loudly, and Suzaku chuckled again, enjoying his anger.  
  
He chuckled, "What's your hurry hero? Stay and play." His taunt seemed to enrage the boy and he lashed out, swinging his katana at him. 'Yes!' Suzaku thought. 'This is finally it! Come to me!' He parried his blade with his own and threw his foot out, kicking him in the stomach. He didn't wait a second, as after that he slashed for the boy's throat, testing his will to live. It must have been great because Rikimaru blocked and shoved his sword outward with surprising power that sent Suzaku stumbling backwards. Rikimaru yelled out and leapt off his feet, coming at Suzaku with an overhead slash. Too soon junior. The attack may have done Suzaku in had he been more tired out but the fight just started, so he greeted the wannabe- bird with a roundhouse kick straight to the jaw. The boy flew back from the impact and rolled down the muddy slope. Suzaku ran to the top of it and leapt at Rikimaru to meet him, swinging his sword at his chest as he rose. Surprisingly, the young ninja parried again, then drew back, coming at him with a side slash. Suzaku blocked, and slashed. Rikimaru dodged and came again. Once more Suzaku blocked, only this time Rikimaru's speed and power seemed to almost best him. The once silent camp was now roaring with the sound of steel on steel as their blades clashed, over and over and over. Again and again and again. Sparks flew in so much quantity, that had the grass not been wet, they would probably be battling in the middle of a burning village. The fight raged around the near watch posts and sheds, all the way back up the slope near the entrance of the tent. It seemed to be almost a tie. None had been hit since, the delivered kick from Suzaku. It was just dives, flips and clashing steel. Finally, physical punishment began to introduce itself. Suzaku missed a clean cut for Rikimaru's neck and found his sword, embedded into the tree he once hid in. Trying to pull it out, he left himself open for a kick to the back of his head, and his forehead met the trunk of the tree with a dull smack that sent him stumbling back. He almost caught himself, but was deprived from it by a sweep by Rikimaru which knocked him into the mud on his back. Rikimaru raised his blade for the kill but Suzaku would not die here! He sprung up with surprising speed and caught Rikimaru with an elbow to the sternum. The boy heaved over and Suzaku finished the assault up with a full kick to the face, which knocked him down himself. He turned and ripped his blade from the tree, ready to end the ninja's life but he was already recovering. Tired already, he turned and did a clean flip over Rikimaru's head, landing a safe distance from him, and looked back, panting.  
  
"...You're good, little ninja....." Yes. Suzaku had to give him credit for skill. His training under old man Shiunsai had payed off quite well. "One day, you might actually become a worthy opponent for me..." He could see Rikimaru suddenly run at him, but he was too fast. He dove into the air to land in another tree, a few yards from Rikimaru and continued running off. He could hear the boy shout for him to come back, but he would not. Not now. He would kill him when the time seemed right. And now, it actually didn't. Now he just had to return to the hideout. The cave that Kagami had picked out for him and his three other companions.  
  
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Suzaku sat in a corner, poking a squirming rat with a shiv blade he had carved out of stone. The creature was near dead. Byakko sat nearby petting Churro who eyed the rat like a treat. Genbu had arrived, with news that Seiryu had been killed by an Azuma Ninja. Suzaku was surprised that it wasn't Seiryu who came back with news of Genbu's death. It would have been pleasing news. Genbu didn't deserve to live, he was so stupid, and also since Seiryu had grown to actually be a respected ally to Suzaku...a friend even. A couple of hours must have passed before Kagami came in, panting from battle, and followed by Tatsumaru who walked as if he was one of them. He had no wounds of torture and wasn't shackled. Kagami spoke.  
  
"I have an announcement. I want you to welcome the new 4th Lord of the Burning Dawn, Seiryu: The Blue Dragon." Kagami seemed proud as she should be. She was a great leader...for the time being. Suzaku knew it was only a matter of time before he would meet his true Lord again.  
  
"WHAT?!" Suzaku snapped up to look at the voice, as did Byakko. It was Genbu. He seemed surprised that Kagami had welcomed in an Azuma Ninja. "Him?!"  
  
Kagami glared. "If you have a problem, Genbu, you can take it out with him, yourself." Tatsumaru, er..Seiryu..yes, the new Seiryu stepped forward as if he would have gotten a kick out of ripping Genbu's fat form apart, but the large ninja poser waved his hands.  
  
"Nooo. Nope. If he ok with Lady Kagami, he ok with Genbu!" And he gave that idiotic smile of his. It was the only one he could give.  
  
"Good..." Kagami nodded to Genbu, then turned to look at Byakko and himself. "Suzaku? Byakko? What do you say?"  
  
Suzaku chuckled as he glanced up from his rat victim. "I expect, he will prove most useful my lady."  
  
"Yes, well hopefully he'll prove 'more' useful than the previous Blue Dragon...eh Churro?" Byakko said, glancing to his tiger who gave a loud, content growl and wagged it's tail. Suzaku smiled admiringly at the animal. He deserved a treat, so he threw him the rat he had half killed, and looked up at Kagami to see what else she had to say. She was now facing the former Tatsumaru, holding the first Seiryu's old mask and handed it to him.  
  
"Donn this mask.." She said, "It will be a seal of your identity...and your fate..." He took the mask and slipped it on, looking around at his three new allies. Suzaku smiled darkly as Kagami continued speaking. "I have a job for the four of you. We need more workers to work on the Fire Demon. Go to the nearest Gohda village from here, and bring back villagers to work as slaves. The new day of ninjas is beginning! This earth will feel our wrath. The wrath of the Burning Dawn!"  
  
Suzaku chuckled deeply and tossed his dagger against a crate, embedding it in the side and picked up his mask, slipping it over his face as he rose to his feet and walked out with Genbu, Byakko and yes...Seiryu II, to head for the village. It wasn't killing they had to do, no. But Suzaku was not disappointed at all. He knew there would be time. Plenty of time, to kill.  
  
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So here it is! I hope you all liked it. Send me some reviews please, and tell me what you all think. 


	12. NOTICE TO ALL READERS!

NOTICE!

Hey everyone. It's me, the author of "The Chronicles Of Onikage." I REALLY apologize that I haven't updated in so long. It's been what, more than an entire year? Yeah, way too long since my last update. BUT! The good news is that I'm back in business here and I want to continue this story so if there's anybody who wants to see this story continue, your wishes have been answered. I am continuing the story with Chapter 12, as soon as I get home. Hope I still get readers for this! God I've missed writing it!


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